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American Redstart

Status Common in summer. Breeds. First migrants generally appear before mid-May (average 12 May, earliest 30 April). In summer it is widespread in deciduous growth, even in towns and villages. Fall migration is evident from the first week in August, with peaks occurring through September and occasionally into October. Stragglers are routine into November (average 4 November, latest 3 December).

Description Length: 11.5-14 cm. Adult male: Upperparts, including head, breast, wings and tail, black; sides of breast and a large central wing patch orange-red; large orange red patch on each side of tail at base; belly and undertail coverts white. Adult female: The orange markings on the male are replaced with lemon yellow; top and sides of head gray; back and wings olive-gray; throat and underparts white.

Breeding Nest: Made of grasses, strips of bark, plant down and other soft vegetable materials deftly interwoven, with a lining of fine grass and sometimes hair, the whole structure being neat and compact. It is usually placed in the crotch of a deciduous tree or bush at low heights but sometimes 8-10 m up. Ornamental groves, hedgerows and orchards near human habitation are favoured sites, although it frequently nests in districts remote from human settlement. Eggs: 4-5; grayish white, spotted with various shades of brown chiefly around the larger end. Laying begins during the first week of June; a nest found on 30 May 1920 was nearly completed, and two others each held four partially incubated eggs on 14 June 1916.

Range Breeds from southeastern Alaska, the southern Mackenzie Valley, central Manitoba, central Quebec, and Newfoundland, south to Alabama, northern Utah and northeastern Oregon. Winters from Mexico to northern South America and in the West Indies.

Remarks Of all our garden birds, perhaps none is more strikingly beautiful than the male redstart. His brilliant colours of shining black, pure white and flaming orange-red, so charmingly displayed as he whirls about with tail widely fanned in pursuit of small insects, immediately capture one's attention. He is one of the most active and animated warblers, a restless creature, constantly in motion as though rushing to finish whatever needs to be done.