5.25 inches long. The American Redstart has a unique tail pattern. The male has large bright orange patches at the base of the tail while the female and first spring males have the same pattern but the patches are yellow. The male is glossy black with orange patches on the sides and wings as well as the base of the tail. His belly and undertail coverts are white. The female and first spring male have the same pattern but the body is gray and the patches are yellow. A first spring male always has some black in between the eye and bill.
The American Redstart a common breeder that arrives in late April to early May and leaves by the end of September. It is one of the most common breeding birds of Fontenelle Forest.
The Spanish name for the American Redstart is “candelita” or little torch. It prefers deciduous trees often near wet areas. It is an active warbler that often droops its wings and fans and raises its tail to flush insects which it pursues with short flights. The American Redstart is a prolific songster. Its song can be confusing since it often alternates two different songs. One song is a series of four or five high and rather strong notes, often with an emphatic ending. Other songs are “tsee, tsee, tsee, tzirr”, or “tseeta, tseeta, tseeta, tseet”, or “tseeo, tseeo, tseeo, tseeo”.
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