Black Redstart

[madsue1]

Hi
We have a male Black Redstart on the nurseries. Is this a rare bird? I've never seen one before but it has a really pretty peachey/red tail when it flies.
About the size of a robin?
Sue

[madsue1]

here's a photo of him

[aeshna5]

It is a male Black Redstart, a relative of the Robin- lovely find. It is a scarce breeding bird- often in habtats not often visited by birders- industrial areas, derelict buildings, etc. A bit more common on passage + some birds wintering.

Good photo by the way. We have several breeding pairs in London with a few birds being recorded singing in the centre recently.

[madsue1]

Thanks Aeshna
That's lovely to know.
I shall listen out to him singing.....he's on his own I think, so maybe he won't have anyone to sing to?

[RKB]

Defo a Black Redstart, but this is the height of the breeding season so this is a significant find - Black Redstarts are one of our rarest breeding birds, and if it's hanging around at this time of year then it suggests that it has a territory.

First step is to email your photo and the details to your county recorder (email for Hants on this page BirdTrack (BTO/RSPB/BWI/SOC) - County Bird Recorders ).

I would ask him if there were any skilled local nest finders who could check your site. There may well be a female present (perhaps incubating eggs, hence not very visible). They tend to nest on man-made structures, such as buildings etc, so in a workplace the nest could be vulnerable to being destroyed if nobody knows it's there (e.g. if you move some pallets or plants). I'd also ask that he doesn't make it public, as it may be breeding.

I'd also email Dave Leech at the BTO Nest Record Scheme http://www.bto.org/aboutBTO/cvs/dave_leech.htm as he might be able to put you in touch with a local nest recorder who could check.

[caernerch]

I've been lucky enough to find a few in the UK over many years birding, but my brother (a non-birder) moved to a farmhouse in the Charente, France and they're a garden bird to him which is so annoying.
caernerch

[Angelika]

I had one in my small townhouse garden in january.i had never seen one before had to ask on this forum for someone identify it.

[madsue1]

Thanks..........have emailed you. Very exciting.