Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
In post-WWII London, it became famous as the 'bomb-site bird' for nesting in the ruins of destroyed buildings.
- Scientific name
- Phoenicurus ochruros
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Muscicapidae › Phoenicurus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- urban
- Habitat
- Rocky mountain slopes, cliffs, industrial zones, and urban construction sites.
- Diet
- Insects, spiders, and small berries during the autumn months.
- Range
- Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, Middle East
- Size
- 14-15 cm in length, weighing approximately 12-20 grams.
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years in the wild.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of nesting crevices in modern architecture and reduction of insect prey due to pesticides.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and beneficial insectivore. Maintain a safe distance of 5-10 meters to observe. If an injured bird is found, place it in a dark, ventilated box and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
The black redstart ( Phoenicurus ochruros ) is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus . Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher (Muscicapidae). Other common names are Tithy's redstart , blackstart and black redtail .
Photo: SteveM4560, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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