# Black Redstart

*Phoenicurus ochruros*

In post-WWII London, it became famous as the 'bomb-site bird' for nesting in the ruins of destroyed buildings.

- **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.

## About

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 .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/fabecfb1-5e9d-45e0-af11-a6815469d116
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13000
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicurus ochruros
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/628848727/medium.jpg (SteveM4560, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.