American Redstart
American Redstart: Medium, active warbler with black upperparts and hood, distinctive orange-red patches on wings, sides, and long, fanned tail, and white underparts. Bill, legs, and feet are black. It frequently flashes its colorful wings and tail to flush insects from foliage.
● Song:
"chewy-chewy-chewy, chew-chew-chew"
● Foraging & Feeding:
American Redstart: Feeds on insects, spiders, caterpillars, berries, fruits, and seeds. Often pursues flying insects by dropping from perch. Has flycatcher-like bristles around bill and competes for food with the Least Flycatcher, which may aggressively attack redstarts.
● Breeding & nesting:
American Redstart: Two to five white or pale green eggs, marked with brown and gray, are laid in a compact cup of grass, bark shreds, plant fibers, and spider silk, often decorated with lichens, and lined with fine grass and hair. Nest is usually built in a tree or bush 10 to 20 feet above the ground. Female incubates eggs for 12 days.
● Similar species:
American Redstart: None in range.
● Range & Habitat:
American Redstart: Breeds from southeastern Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to northern California, Colorado, Oklahoma, northern Louisiana, and South Carolina. Spends winters in southern Texas and southern California and points south into the tropics. Preferred habitats include second-growth woodlands.