Adrian Dancy
9P1A8145 Black Redstart, (adult female) Manchester
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros).
Black Redstarts are very rare breeding birds in the UK. On average about 40-50 are recorded breeding in the UK and the majority of those are around London. This year, two pairs bred in the centre of Manchester and at each site 4 juveniles fledged. Sadly, one fledgling was predated by a Lesser Black-backed Gull within 2 hours of fledging. Black Redstarts (like European Robins) were once thought to be members of the Thrush family. However, recent studies now put them in the family of Old World Flycatchers. The bird shown here is a female (adult).
9P1A8145 Black Redstart, (adult female) Manchester
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros).
Black Redstarts are very rare breeding birds in the UK. On average about 40-50 are recorded breeding in the UK and the majority of those are around London. This year, two pairs bred in the centre of Manchester and at each site 4 juveniles fledged. Sadly, one fledgling was predated by a Lesser Black-backed Gull within 2 hours of fledging. Black Redstarts (like European Robins) were once thought to be members of the Thrush family. However, recent studies now put them in the family of Old World Flycatchers. The bird shown here is a female (adult).