Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
Also known as: Redpoll
About This Species
Common Redpolls favour birch and alder stands and weedy open ground, where flocks cling to catkins and seed heads, showing a small red cap and streaky brown plumage. They are highly nomadic, appearing in large numbers some winters and being nearly absent in others as they track seed crops across the boreal region. Winter is the season to look for them, often in mixed flocks with siskins at feeders or in birch groves following a poor local seed year.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Feeding flocks can be approached slowly and quietly but will flush if crowded, so patience from a moderate distance gives the best views.
- Wild birds are protected from deliberate disturbance under national wildlife legislation across their circumpolar range, with the specific rules varying by country.
- Feeder watching offers a low-impact way to observe irruptive flocks without pressuring birds that may already be under seasonal food stress.
LCAvesPasseriformesFringillidae
Seasonal Activity
2,657,090 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.