American Redstart

Description

The male American redstart is a beautiful little warbler found found throughout most of the United States and Canada. Males are mostly black with white underparts and bold orange patches on the sides, wings, and tails. They often fan their tails, showing off their bright orange markings. Females and first-year males are dullish gray with yellow patches. Redstarts are among the easiest of the warblers to observe as their bold colors make them unmistakable. In addition, they tend to forage in the lower or middle parts of the canopy, rather than high up in the canopy. Unlike most warblers, redstarts will often catch insects in mid-air.

Diet

Redstarts eat flying insects, spiders, and caterpillars.

Range and Habitat

Unlike most warblers, American Redstarts range throughout most of the United States and Canada, even north to southern Alaska. They are most common in the southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, New England, and the Appalachian Mountains region. They prefer deciduous or mixed forests.

Status

The American redstart remains one of the most numerous warblers, although it is thought to be in the midst of a gradual decline in population.