Despite its name, the Common Redstart is unrelated to American redstarts — it's an Old World flycatcher that gets its name from its rust-orange tail (Old English 'steort' = tail).
Males have a slate-blue back and bright orange chest; females are brown but share the orange tail.
They migrate from European breeding grounds to sub-Saharan Africa each fall, an extraordinary journey for a 14-gram bird.
Redstarts use nest boxes in old orchards and mature gardens. They're particular about hole size and location.
Mount a 32mm hole box 2–4 m up on an old tree trunk in an open orchard or parkland setting.
Mature open-canopy trees nearby; they avoid dense scrub and dense conifer.
Insects only — they're flycatchers. A no-pesticide garden with native flowers helps support insect populations.
Shallow bath nearby.
Don't site in dense modern suburbs — they want old-orchard, old-park structure.
A long-distance migrant breeding across Europe and northwest Asia, wintering in Africa south of the Sahara.
Breeds throughout Europe except Iceland, Ireland, and the far north. Particularly common in Scandinavia and Central Europe.
Breeds through European Russia and into western Siberia.
Winters in the Sahel and savanna belts of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Ethiopia.
Mature open deciduous woodland, parkland with old trees, orchards, and mountain birch forest. They prefer open canopy with cavity-rich old trees.
Migratory; prefers semi-open boxes (slot or oval entrance) on mature trees.