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American Redstart - (Setophaga
ruticilla)
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June 13, 2009 - Even though
the American Redstart is considered the most
common and widespread breeding warbler in the
state of New York, we were very excited to have
our first one in the backyard. At first
glance we thought we saw a female, but further
study of the bird books and the photos showed
that our bird was a first year juvenile.
He won't get his orange and black Halloween
colors until next year.
The orangier tint and the
start of black mottling on the chest indicated
this was probably a juvenile male. The one
picture, though not the best, shows the dropped
wings and fanning of the tail just before he
left in search of flying insects.
He was perched on the dead
branch we placed in front of our usual picture
taking window. We almost didn't notice him among
the dozen goldfinches waiting their turn at a
sunflower seed feeder. We were thrilled to
see we got some clear photos, in spite of the
excitement and the fumbling with the monopod
height, and then the tricky lens adjustments.
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The American Redstart was
given this name because 'start' is an old
English word meaning tail and the red comes from
the reddish orange of the mature male. At the
wintering areas in the US he is called
"Butterfly Bird" because of his flittering about
snatching insects. In Central America he goes
by "candelita" which means little candle,
perhaps due to their flickering and flashing of
orange and yellow, which resembles candle light.
Whatever the name, the birds are beautiful.
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Size:
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Length: 5-5.25 in
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Weight: .29-.3 oz |
Wingspan: 7.75-8 in |
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ID:
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Male: Mostly glossy black; bright
orange at fore shoulder, and bases of
remiges (wing flight feathers) and
rectrices (long flight feathers of
the tail); short, pointed, black beak;
undertail coverts and belly white;
rictal bristles (stiff hair-like
feathers) next to beak (helps to hawk
flying insects); black feet
anisodactylous (three toes point forward
and one toe points backward)
Female:Upperparts dull olive gray; top
of head grayer than back; yellow patches
where male is orange; white eye ring and
supercilium (area between eye ring and
crown of head; white underparts from
throat to covert (base of tail)
Juvenile: Similar to adult female; young
male has some black mottling and may be
tinged with orange; develops full
male plumage by second year; young
female has less yellow on wings, tail
and sides of breast than adult female
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Habitat:
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Open forest, woodland edges with
bushes and saplings; dense undergrowth;
usually near water
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Diet:
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Gleans foliage (leaves, buds and
branches) for insects and spiders; hawks
for flying insects from perches; droops
wings and fans and raises tail to flush
out insects; can hover glean; some
fruit, berries and seeds; not a feeder
bird
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous and
solitary; 1 brood per year
Local Breeding Period: Late May to
early June
Nests:Cup shaped; built by female; made
of bark, grass, rootlets and lined with
weed stem, feathers and hair; placed in
crotch of tree or bush
Eggs: 2-5 off-white with brown
or gray markings; mostly female
incubates 11-12 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest 9
days; fed by both parents
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Social Activities:
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Likely to come to birdbath; highly
active flashing wings and tail patches;
erratic looking flight pattern; tame
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Range:
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Breeding: Southern Canada, northern
and southeast US
Winter: migrates to southern
tip of Texas and Florida, Mexico,
Central and South America
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Vocalization:
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Only male sings; sings often and
varies the songs; usually 4-8 notes with
a lower ending; tsee tsee tsee tsee
tzirr; call is thin, sweet chip
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 10 years |
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