American Redstart: Bird Finder for September 21, 2016
American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
by Andy Rzeznikiewicz
The beautiful little American Redstart is migrating through Connecticut now and will be here for another week or so.
What it looks like:
Adult male American Redstarts are mostly black with bright orange patches on the sides, wings, and tail. The underside is white. Females and immature males replace the orange with yellow or yellow-orange. They have gray head and underparts, with olive back and wings and dark-gray tail. Most of the birds found at this time of year tend to be immature birds.Where and how to find it: At this time of year they are often found in mixed flocks following the chickadees through the woods. If you can find the chickadees then you’ll have your best chance of finding an American Redstart and other warblers mixed in with them. In spring and summer they are commonly found in young and mature forests with a good understory component. The nests are placed in the fork of a young tree often only 12 to 15 feet off the ground.
The American Redstart is pretty easy to pick out of a mixed flock. They often flash their orange or yellow tails while they feed and chase other birds around. At this time of year they can be found just about anywhere in the state. They will be here for another week or so.
What if the bird isn’t there: The beauty of the fall migration is that everything is in mixed flocks and you can find just about anything: all kinds of warblers, vireos, flycatchers and thrushes. Keep an eye to the sky for migrating raptors as well.Conservation status: American Redstart is considered to be of Least Concern. They are still relatively common throughout their breeding range and in Connecticut specifically, although there has been a slight decrease in population according to some studies.
Photos by Dick Daniels and Dominic Sherony (top), Carolinabirds.org.
