Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is a member of the Parulidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 8.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Parulidae New World Warblers
- Genus Setophaga
- Species ruticilla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Parulidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Strongly dimorphic: the adult male is glossy black with bright orange patches on the sides, wings and tail and a white belly; the female is gray-and-olive (grey head, greenish upperparts) with yellow (not orange) patches in the same places.
Juvenile appearance
Immature males stay female-like (gray/yellow) through their second fall, then acquire variable black flecking on head, breast and back, not attaining full adult black-and-orange plumage until their second summer (third calendar year).
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The American Redstart is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The American Redstart is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is a member of the Parulidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA w Canada to se Canada and e USA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.2 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 5.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the American Redstart?
The American Redstart is a very small bird that weighs around 8.2 g.
Where does the American Redstart live?
The American Redstart is found across North America with a range covering NA w Canada to se Canada and e USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the American Redstart belong to?
The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) belongs to the Parulidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the American Redstart eat?
The American Redstart is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the American Redstart migrate?
The American Redstart is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the American Redstart endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the American Redstart make?
1 real field recording of the American Redstart — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the American Redstart's range?
The American Redstart has a mapped global range of about 6.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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