Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) — 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 Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 14.6 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 phoenicurus
Where it lives
Europe and northwestern Africa through Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to western China and northern Mongolia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Redstart is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Common Redstart is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL Europe and nw Africa through Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to w China and n Mongolia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.6 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 14.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Redstart?
The Common Redstart is a very small bird that weighs around 14.6 g.
Where does the Common Redstart live?
The Common Redstart is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Europe and nw Africa through Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to w China and n Mongolia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Common Redstart belong to?
The Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Common Redstart eat?
The Common Redstart is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Redstart migrate?
The Common Redstart is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common 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 Common Redstart make?
1 real field recording of the Common Redstart — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Redstart's range?
The Common Redstart has a mapped global range of about 14.5 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.