Callum Macgregor

Rather common, intermediate-size songbird. European population fluctuates depending on wet or dry winters in the Sahel. Breeding range includes all of Europe. Breeds in open wooded or parkland areas. Feeds largely on insects (especially adult and larval Lepidoptera and Coleoptera) and spiders. Mainly long-distance migrant but also winters in W Mediterranean basin.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendIncreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		10500000-19600000,14400000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Common Redstart

Predominant direction of movement NE–SW, with most recoveries in Iberia and NW Africa. There are only a few sub-Saharan recoveries along the Atlantic coasts of Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. A minority move NW-SE, with encounters in Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Iran and also a sub-Saharan recovery in Chad. In all regions, a  few birds move SE, and there is no clear migratory divide.

Recoveries by Condition for Common Redstart

Numbers encountered increased from around 250 annually before the year 2000 to 500-1,000/year since then. In spring most encounters are in May, in autumn most are from the last dekad of Aug to the second dekad of Sep. Recently about 85% of encounters are recaptures by ringers. In the period 1961-1990 52% were recaptures and 37% dead birds, of which only 5.8% were of shot birds.

Annual Movements for Common Redstart

On northward passage SW Europe breeders go through NW Africa mainly from the last dekad of Mar through Apr, arriving in W and C Europe and the British Isles in Apr. Fennoscandian breeders arrive in the first two dekads of May. SE birds move through Cyprus in Apr. On autumn migration, SW birds migrate through France and Iberia from the second dekad of Aug-end Oct (France) and the first half of Nov (Iberia). Birds moving SE go through Greece in Aug–Oct and there are recoveries in Cyprus and Lebanon in Sep.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Redstart

The vast majority of breeders in all regions are in sites to the SW: Portugal, Spain and NW Africa in Aug-Oct. Birds breeding in central Europe and Fennoscandia are fround to the SW in Oct–Dec, they also connect to SE sites in Macedonia, Greece, Lebanon and Iran and there are some to the W in the British Isles. A few birds breeding in W Europe are to the SE in Mar-Apr in Austria, Italy and Tunisia. Some British-breeders move SE cand are in Italy, France, Malta and Algeriain in Oct with and in Tunisia and Algeria in Apr. Birds along sub-Saharan Atlantic coast in Oct–Jan are from breeding areas in the British Isles, W and C Europe and Fennoscandia. A Nov recovery in Chad connects to C Europe.

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries