Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) [XC799053]
by Frank Holzapfel from Hochdorf \/ Enz, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, Germany (song)
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) [XC799051]
by Frank Holzapfel from Hochdorf \/ Enz, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, Germany (song)
Nest
A loose, cup of plant material, on a ledge or in a crevice, lined with hair and feathers.
Eggs (Guide)
4 - 6; smooth, glossy, pale blue to white.
Subspecies
Known to have hybridized with Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus).
Proposed subspecies aterrimus (Portugal, southern and central Spain) merged with gibraltariensis. Subspecies phoenicuroides and rufiventris intergrade. Birds from western China (southern Xinjiang) named as subspecies xerophilus are probably intermediate between them.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
gibraltariensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789) - Europe and north-western Africa. Non-breeding also northern Africa and Middle East.
ochruros (Gmelin, 1774) - Asia Minor, Caucasus and north-western Iran. Non-breeding Middle East.
semirufus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833) - Western Syria, Lebanon and north-eastern Israel.
phoenicuroides (Moore, F, 1854) - Southern Russia (Tuva Republic) and western Mongolia south to Tien Shan, south-eastern and southern Kazakhstan and north-western Pakistan. Non-breeding north-eastern Africa, Arabian Peninsula and south-western and southern Asia.
rufiventris (Vieillot, 1818) - Turkmenistan and Pamir-Alai Mts east through Himalayas to central China. Non-breeding south-western and southern Asia.
aterrimus von Jordans, 1923 - Iberian Peninsula.
xerophilus Stegmann, 1928 - Western China (Astin Tagh Mountains to western Gansu and Qinghai).
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet