Like other wood warblers, the American Redstart makes a long trek from Central and South America to Canada each spring. Some redstarts stop in our neighborhood for a few days during their migration to eat, drink and rest. For the first time that I’m aware of a pair of them just may have stuck around for the summer nesting season.
Weeks after the other warbler species had moved on, I could still hear an American Redstart singing from the tops of the oaks. And then one day I happened to be standing at the window when a male redstart plopped down on of our birdbaths.
American Redstarts rarely stand still. They flit around in the trees fanning and spreading their tails to flush out insects, their primary food source. The males are black with bright orange patches on their sides, wings and tail. They are sometimes confused with Baltimore Orioles, but orioles are a couple inches larger, have a longer beak, and are more orange than black.
For comparison, this is a male Baltimore Oriole:
Female American Redstarts are mostly gray and white, but they aren’t completely bland. They have apricot or yellow on their sides, wings and tail.
Redstarts are fascinating little acrobats that are a joy to watch. Hopefully somewhere way above my head is a cozy little nest full of speckled eggs.