Breeding birds: 1-4 pairs
Wintering birds: 300 birds
Family: Finches, Euphonias, And Allies
In breeding plumage, the adult male common redpoll’s upperparts are dark grey with brown streaking and white fringes on the mantle feathers and scapulars. The pale grey rump is tinged with pink, while the uppertail coverts are greyish-brown with darker centres. The tail is dark grey, edged with narrow buff fringes. Its dark brown upperwings have a distinctive white double wingbar and pale-edged flight feathers.
The underparts are pale grey with a pink throat and breast, a white belly, and undertail coverts that occasionally show dark streaks. The flanks and sides of the belly are streaked with brown.
On the head, the lower forehead, lores, and chin are black, while the upper forehead and forecrown are red. The crown and nape are pale grey with dark streaks, with a narrow pale supercilium and a thin dark eye stripe. Cheeks and ear coverts are pale grey, often washed with pink on the lower areas.
The short, conical bill is dull yellow with a black tip, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and feet are black.
Outside the breeding season, the male’s plumage becomes paler. The head and nape turn greyer, the upperparts become pale brown, and the tail feathers show pale grey fringes. The throat and breast lose their pink hue, appearing white or grey with brown streaks, and the flanks are more heavily tinged with brown.
The adult female common redpoll is similar to the male but lacks the vibrant pink tones on the face, breast, and rump. Her streaking on the back and rump is more pronounced, and her underparts are a pale brown. The black chin patch is less defined and more rounded compared to the male.
Juveniles closely resemble the female but lack any pink colouring and are more heavily streaked on the underparts.
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The redpoll breeds from late April to August, typically producing two broods per season. They are monogamous, forming pairs for the duration of the breeding season. Nests are usually built about 5 metres above the ground in a tree or shrub. While the female takes the lead in constructing the nest, the male sometimes assists by gathering materials. The nest is made from grass, twigs, and moss, and lined with soft materials such as feathers, down, and animal hair.
It lays 4–6 pale green eggs marked with dark spots and lines. The female incubates the eggs alone for 11–12 days while the male provides food for her at the nest. After hatching, the chicks remain in the nest for 9–14 days before fledging and become fully independent at around 26 days. They reach sexual maturity at one year old.
Redpolls primarily feed on small seeds, catkins, and buds from willows, alders, birches, and conifers. During the breeding season, they also supplement their diet with insects.
They forage in trees, low vegetation, shrubs, weeds, and sometimes on the ground. Redpolls are known to hang upside down while foraging and often visit bird feeders. They sometimes form mixed-feeding flocks, particularly with siskins.
The redpoll has a pouch in its throat that allows it to store food for several hours. This helps the bird feed quickly in cold weather before finding a warmer spot in which to digest the food.
Common redpolls can be spotted in the UK between October and April. They are found on the east coast in the autumn and winter before moving west in search of food.
The common redpoll is also referred to as the mealy redpoll, especially in aviculture. In addition to the two recognised subspecies, the lesser redpoll is occasionally considered a subspecies of the common redpoll.
