BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Redstart

REDSTART
Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Conservation listings

Table 4/Amber (European Status)
Biodiversity Steering Group Conservation Concern List

Long-term trend

UK: Uncertain
Lowland: Fluctuating with no long-term trend

Status summary

The decline in the late 1960s and early 1970s was thought to be due to severe drought conditions in the Sahel wintering area in Africa (Marchant et al. 1990). The subsequent recovery appears to be continuing. The population increase has been associated with improving breeding performance and progressively earlier laying dates. Failure rate at the egg stage (17 days, comprising 12 days incubation + 5 days laying) is down from 18% to 7%. The trend towards earlier laying can be partially explained as a result of recent climate change (Crick & Sparks 1999).

Table of population changes for Redstart

Source Period
(yrs) Years Plots
(n) Change
(%) Lower
limit Upper
limit Alert Comment

CBC all habitats 31 1968-1999 23 9 -31 68 Unrepresentative

25 1974-1999 23 134 48 231 Unrepresentative

10 1989-1999 26 7 -15 21 Unrepresentative

5 1994-1999 27 10 -14 31 Unrepresentative

BBS UK 6 1994-2000 132 45 21 73

BBS England 6 1994-2000 70 71 33 121

BBS Wales 6 1994-2000 50 19 -7 53 Small sample

The Breeding Bird Survey is jointly funded by BTO, JNCC and RSPB

Table of productivity information for Redstart

Variable Period
(yrs) Years Mean
annual
sample Trend Predicted
in first year Predicted
in last year Change Comment

Clutch size 31 1968-1999 52 Curvilinear 5.86 eggs 6.27 eggs 0.41 eggs

Brood size 31 1968-1999 91 Curvilinear 5.08 chicks 5.59 chicks 0.51 chicks

Daily failure rate (eggs) 31 1968-1999 78 Linear decline 0.0119 nests/day 0.004 nests/day -0.0079 nests/day

Daily failure rate (chicks) 31 1968-1999 55 Linear decline 0.0112 nests/day 0.0056 nests/day -0.0056 nests/day

Laying date 31 1968-1999 66 Curvilinear day 140 day 133 -7 days

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

Wider Countryside Home | BTO Home | JNCC Home

This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Leech, D.I., Marchant, J.H.,
Noble, D.G., Raven, M.J., Simpkin, A.P., Thewlis, R.M. and Wernham, C.V. (2002) Breeding Birds in the Wider
Countryside: their conservation status 2001. BTO Research Report No. 278. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Terms and Conditions of use
Privacy Statement

© British Trust for Ornithology
BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK. Registered Charity Number 216652
Tel: +44 (0)1842 750050 Fax: +44 (0)1842 750030 Email:
This page last updated: 21 April, 2008

Page created by Susan Waghorn