American Redstart

The American Redstart is a small, active wood-warbler widespread in deciduous and mixed second-growth woodland across much of North America, wintering from Mexico through Central America into northern South America and the Caribbean. Adult males are boldly patterned in black with vivid orange patches on the wings, tail, and sides, while females and immature males show a more subdued gray-olive plumage with yellow patches in the same positions.

Adult male body feathers are mostly black, with bright orange patches at the base of the primary flight feathers, along the sides of the tail, and on the flanks. Females and immature males lack the black and orange, instead showing gray-olive upperparts and whitish underparts with pale yellow patches in the same wing, tail, and flank positions as the male's orange. The tail feathers in particular show a distinctive two-toned pattern, dark at the tip with a colored patch near the base, useful for identification even in flight.

Adult males acquire their full black-and-orange plumage after their second year; first-year males often resemble females but may show a scattering of orange or black feathers mixed into the otherwise yellow-and-gray plumage. Females retain the gray-olive and yellow pattern throughout their lives. A single complete molt occurs after breeding.

American Redstarts breed in deciduous and mixed second-growth woodland, forest edge, and riparian thickets across a broad range spanning much of North America. They winter in a variety of wooded and shrubby habitats from Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and into northern South America.

This species has a highly active foraging style, frequently fanning its tail and drooping its wings to flash the bright wing and tail patches, which is thought to startle insects into flight for easier capture. The male's song is a variable series of high, thin notes. Nests are built as compact cups in the fork of a sapling or shrub. It is a common and conspicuous migrant across much of its range.