Arctic Redpoll
Acanthis hornemanni (Holböll, 1843)
AL
ARCRE
16640
Family: Passeriformes > Fringillidae
This snowball of a finch, as its name suggests, hails from the far north and is a winter visitor to the UK in small numbers.
The Arctic Redpoll is a tough little bird and its occurrence in the UK in any winter is variable depending on the weather conditions further north. In some winters, Arctic Redpolls can reach double figures, whilst in others they will be completely absent. They are only very rarely found in Ireland.
Coue’s Arctic Redpoll (a subspecies) also occurs in the UK during the winter. It is darker than Arctic Redpoll but shares the general frostiness. This subspecies breeds closer to the UK than Arctic Redpoll and is a little more frequent to visit. It can occur in large numbers in some winters.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Arctic Redpoll
BTO RECORDS
BTO RECORDS
Identification
Arctic Redpoll identification is often difficult.
SONGS AND CALLS
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Arctic Redpoll, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Call
Develop your bird ID skills with our training courses
Our interactive online courses are a great way to develop your bird identification skills, whether you're new to the hobby or a competent birder looking to hone your abilities.
Browse training coursesStatus and Trends
Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
POPULATION SIZE
We have no population estimates for this scarce species.
| BOU Category | A |
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First Record
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Durham, 1855  |
DISTRIBUTION
Arctic Redpolls are rare winter visitor originating from breeding populations in northern Greenland and northern Scandinavia through to northern Siberia. During Bird Atlas 2007–11 they were recorded from 19 10-km squares, mostly in coastal and lowland areas in eastern England. There was a small influx into the Northern Isles in autumn 2010 but the records from the five 10-km squares in the Northern Isles all referred to birds present only in November when possibly still on passage.
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Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore. -
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Occupied 10-km squares in UK
| No. occupied in winter | 19 |
| % occupied in winter | 0.6 |
European Distribution Map
DISTRIBUTION CHANGE
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
SEASONALITY
Arctic Redpoll is a scarce vagrant, typically seen in October but some birds have wintered.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Arctic Redpoll, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.
BIOMETRICS
Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.
Feather measurements and photos on featherbase
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
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Field Codes
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2-letter: AL | 5-letter code: ARCRE | Euring: 16640 |
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