Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 4.3–5.1 in
11–13 cm - Wingspan
- 6.3–7.5 in
16–19 cm - Weight
- 0.2–0.3 oz
6–9 g
Other Names
- Petit du Feu, Paruline flamboyante (French)
- Candelita, Pavito migratorio (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The American Redstart is not particularly closely related to the Painted Redstart and the other redstart warblers of the Neotropics. They all are similarly patterned and forage in similar ways, flashing their tails and wings to startle insect prey. In other parts of the world other unrelated species of birds look and act similarly, such as the fantails of Australia and southeastern Asia.
- A young male American Redstart resembles a female in plumage until its second fall. Males in the gray and yellow yearling plumage will try to hold territories and attract mates, singing vigorously. Some succeed in breeding in this plumage, but most do not breed successfully until they are two years old.
- The male American Redstart occasionally is polygynous, having two mates at the same time. Unlike many other polygynous species of birds that have two females nesting in the same territory, the redstart holds two separate territories up to 500 m (1,640 ft) apart. The male starts to attract a second female after the first has completed her clutch and is incubating the eggs.
Habitat
Forest
Moist second growth deciduous forest, with abundant shrubs.
Food
Insects
Insects, some small fruits.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Creamy white with dark speckles around large end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with tufts of down.
Nest Description
Nest a tightly woven open cup fitted into branches or fork in tree or shrub. Made of grasses, bark strips, hair, leaves, twigs, or mosses, glued together with spider silk.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Moves rapidly while foraging. Flashes wings and tail to flush insect prey. Frequent flycatching.
Conservation
Least Concern
Declines seen in some areas, but still widespread and abundant.
Credits
- Sherry, T. W., and R. T. Holmes. 1997. American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). In The Birds of North America, No. 277 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.