Black Redstart

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Black Redstart, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Amber listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	Yes
Birds Directive Annex 1	No
Listed on the Annexes of	WCA(I,IV), Bern(III), Bonn(II)

The Black Redstart is unusual amongst rare British breeding birds in that it is often found breeding in urban areas. The first breeding records occurred in the 1920s and, whilst it remained scarce, the number of records increased during the Second World War (Witherby & Fitter 1947; Fitter 1948), in particular in London which still remains one of its strongholds. A national survey in 1977 found a total of 104 territorial males, consistent with numbers obtained from local bird reports in the years immediately preceding and following the survey (Morgan & Glue 1981). The species remains scarce and is assessed by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. The data suggest breeding numbers may have decreased since the late 1970s although numbers have remained stable in the 25 years to 2019 and there was a mean of 65 breeding pairs reported to the RBBP over the period 2015–2019 (including possible breeding records such as singing males) (Eaton et al. 2021). However, it is unclear whether a genuine decline has occurred given the difficulty in recording breeding evidence in urban areas. The number of 10-km squares with breeding evidence doubled between the 1968–72 and the 2008–11 Atlases with some gains occurring outside the core areas in south-east England (Balmer et al. 2013).

Black Redstarts are localised breeders with most records concentrated around London, coastal Kent, East Anglia and northwest England. During 2008–11 there were no confirmed breeding records in Ireland and the only one in Scotland, on Lewis, involved the sighting of a single recently fledged juvenile, with the exact breeding site not determined. They are scarce in winter, with most records coming from along the south coasts of Ireland, Wales and England.

Although the core breeding range has changed relatively little, the number of occupied squares with breeding evidence has doubled since 1968–72 and many of the gains were outside southeast England, suggesting a slow range expansion.

Black Redstart can be recorded throughout the year; it is scarcest in the summer when a rare breeder. Most records are during autumn passage in late autumn and some birds winter, especially in the south.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing

5 years 0 months 2 days (set in 2015)

Wing Length	Adults	84.9±2.9 | Range 81–89mm, N=302
	Juveniles	84.7±2.5 | Range 81-89mm, N=572
	Males	86.9±3 | Range 83–90.75mm, N=100
	Females	83.9±2.4 | Range 80–88mm, N=145

Body Weight	Adults	16.2±1.44 | Range 14.2–18.5g, N=295
	Juveniles	15.5±1.3779 | Range 13.4–17.8g, N=565
	Males	16.8±1.42 | Range 15.0–19.5g, N=95
	Females	15.7±1.34 | Range 13.9–18.1g, N=144

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	A
Field Codes	2-letter: BX | 5-letter code: BLARE | Euring: 11210

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Causes of change

The causes of changes in Black Redstart numbers are unclear and speculative but the colonisation of England followed an expansion of the European breeding range from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. Climate change has been suggested as a possible driver of this range expansion, and the colonisation of England has been attributed to the creation of suitable nest sites due to bombing, particularly in London, and the microclimate of the city (Morgan & Glue 1981). Recent apparent decreases have in turn been speculatively attributed to a reduction in the number of available nest sites following development, with the creation of 'green roofs' designed for Black Redstarts being proposed as a potential solution (Grant, date unknown).