Redwing

Overview

The redwing (Turdus iliacus) is a thrush native to Europe and the Palearctic, slightly smaller than the related song thrush. It is characterised by its striking red flanks and underwing, and is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 20–24 cm in length with a wingspan of 33–34.5 cm.
• Plain brown backs with dark brown spots on the white underparts.
• Distinct red flanks and underwing, accompanied by a creamy white stripe above the eye.
• A varied, short song with a whistling flight call; introductory song elements vary geographically by dialect.

Habitat

Breeds in conifer and birch forests, as well as tundra regions across northern Europe and the Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering in western, central, and southern Europe, north-west Africa, and south-west Asia, though some populations in south-western Norway remain resident.

Diet

Omnivorous, consuming a wide range of insects and earthworms throughout the year. In autumn and winter, its diet is supplemented by berries, particularly from rowan and hawthorn.

Did you know?

Despite its widespread presence in Europe, the redwing's lineage traces back to ancestors that colonised the Caribbean islands from Africa before eventually reaching Europe. It has also been recorded as a vagrant on the coasts of North America, including a sighting in Seward, Alaska, in 2011.