Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 16.5 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 Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Phoenicurus
- Species ochruros
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Redstart is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black Redstart is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR w PAL to c China.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.5 g, with a wing length of about 8.3 cm and a tail of around 6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 13.8 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Redstart?
The Black Redstart is a small bird that weighs around 16.5 g.
Where does the Black Redstart live?
The Black Redstart is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR w PAL to c China, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Black Redstart belong to?
The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black Redstart eat?
The Black Redstart is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black Redstart migrate?
The Black Redstart is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black 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 Black Redstart make?
1 real field recording of the Black 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 Black Redstart's range?
The Black Redstart has a mapped global range of about 13.8 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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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.