Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Also known as: Cotxa Fumada
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
17 g
About This Species
Look for this small, restless bird with a distinctive quivering rust-red tail, often perched on rooftops, cliffs, walls or rocky ground where it sallies out after insects. It favours open, rocky or urban habitats including quarries, industrial sites and mountain slopes, and is most active foraging at dawn and dusk. Scanning bare walls, ledges and rooftops in early morning during spring and summer gives the best views.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Stay at least 15-20 metres back, since this species often nests in wall crevices, ledges or building recesses that are easy to disturb without realising it.
- Nest protection laws for wild birds apply across most of its European and Asian range, so entering or probing crevices and ledges to find a nest should be avoided.
- If the bird is repeatedly returning to the same gap or ledge, treat that spot as an active nest site and view from a distance instead of approaching it.
LCAvesPasseriformesMuscicapidae
Seasonal Activity
2,269,473 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 17 g
Photo
(c) Paul Cools, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Cools
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.