American Redstart
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
At a Glance
Warblers in general are often called 'the butterflies of the bird world,' but the American Redstart may live up to that nickname more than any other species. This beautiful warbler flits about very actively in the trees, usually holding its wings and tail partly spread, as if to show off their patches of color. At times it feeds more like a flycatcher than a typical warbler, hovering among the foliage and often flying out to grab insects in mid-air.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds, Wood Warblers
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter, Hovering
Population
42.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Migrates mostly at night. Fall migration begins early, with many southbound in August; American Redstart also appears in small numbers of strays throughout the West, and a few may winter in southern California.
Description
Sexes similar; male slightly larger — Length: 4.3 - 5.1 in (11 - 13 cm); wingspan: 6.3 - 7.9 in (16 - 20 cm); weight: 0.2 - 0.3 oz (6 - 9 g). Adult male American Redstart is mostly black with red-orange patches on wings, tail, and sides. Females are gray above, white below, seeming confusingly plain until her yellow wing and tail patches are seen. Young male shows traits like female but with black mottling.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Green, Orange, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
5 or 6 high-pitched notes or 2-note phrases, ending with an upward or downward inflection: chewy-chewy-chewy, chew-chew-chew.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, High, Whistle
Habitat
Second-growth woods, river groves. The American Redstart breeds in open deciduous and mixed woodland, preferring forest edges or second growth, and is also attracted to roadside trees, shrubby and tree-lined stream banks, and ponds. Will nest in second-growth maples, birch, and aspen following fire in coniferous forests. In the Northwest they prefer willow and alder thickets. In winter they can be found in the tropics, generally in lowland woods.
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Behavior
Eggs
Usually 4 eggs, sometimes 2–5. Off-white with brown or gray markings. Incubation is by the female and lasts 11–12 days. American Redstart nests are often parasitized by cowbirds.
Young
Fed by both parents. Leave the nest at 9 days old. The parents divide the brood into 2 parts, each parent attending only half the fledglings. Normally 1 brood per season.
Feeding Behavior
Forages very actively, often flying out to catch insects in mid-air or hovering to take them from foliage. The American Redstart flycatches much more than most warblers, drooping its wings, fanning its tail, and leaping high in the air. Males feed higher and make more mid-air sallies than females early in the nesting season. Unlike many warblers, American Redstarts do not cling to branch tips while hanging upside down like other warblers. It holds large caterpillars and moths in the bill, banging them on a perch before eating.
Diet
The American Redstart feeds primarily on insects. Its diet includes beetles, caterpillars, moths, leafhoppers, aphids, midges, crane flies, and spiders. It also eats some seeds and berries.
Nesting
Males sometimes mate with more than one female and raise 2-3 broods simultaneously. During the breeding season, American Redstart males perform a frequent boundary display flight toward rivals, with stiffened wingbeats and a glide back to the original perch in a semicircle. In courtship, the male fluffs his plumage, raises crown feathers, spreads wings and tail, and bows. Nest site is picked by the female, usually in a fork of tree, 4-70 ft above the ground; rarely on the ground. Open cup nest (built by female) of plant fibers, grass, rootlets, decorated with lichen, birch bark, and feathers; lined with feathers. Sometimes will use old nests of other birds.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Still widespread and very common, but surveys suggest that American Redstart numbers may be declining slightly.
Climate Threats Facing the American Redstart
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
