Redstart
Encyclopedia
Redstarts are a group of small Old World
birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush
family (Turdidae), but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher
family Muscicapidae. They are currently treated in four genera
, the true redstarts Phoenicurus, the closely related genera Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis, and the less closely related genus Hodgsonius.
These are insectivorous ground feeding bird
s, most of which have the red tail which gives the group its name; "start" is the modern English
reflex of Middle English
stert, Old English
steort, tail of an animal. Most species are migratory
, with northern species being long-distance migrants and more southerly species often being altitudinal migrants breeding at high altitude and moving lower down in winter.
They are small insectivore
s, the males mostly brightly coloured in various combinations of red, blue, white, and black, the females light brown with a red tail. Recent genetic studies have shown that the genus Phoenicurus is not monophyletic
, but may be made so by the inclusion of Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis within Phoenicurus; this conclusion is yet to be taken up by the International Ornithological Congress
.
The New World
redstarts in the genera Setophaga and Myioborus are not closely related; they are New World warbler
s in the family Parulidae. Members of the latter genus, with extensive white and no red in their tails, are now more often called "whitestarts".
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family (Turdidae), but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
family Muscicapidae. They are currently treated in four genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, the true redstarts Phoenicurus, the closely related genera Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis, and the less closely related genus Hodgsonius.
These are insectivorous ground feeding bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, most of which have the red tail which gives the group its name; "start" is the modern English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
reflex of Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
stert, Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
steort, tail of an animal. Most species are migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, with northern species being long-distance migrants and more southerly species often being altitudinal migrants breeding at high altitude and moving lower down in winter.
They are small insectivore
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
s, the males mostly brightly coloured in various combinations of red, blue, white, and black, the females light brown with a red tail. Recent genetic studies have shown that the genus Phoenicurus is not monophyletic
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
, but may be made so by the inclusion of Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis within Phoenicurus; this conclusion is yet to be taken up by the International Ornithological Congress
International Ornithological Congress
The International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithological Committee, a group of about 200 ornithologists...
.
The New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
redstarts in the genera Setophaga and Myioborus are not closely related; they are New World warbler
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
s in the family Parulidae. Members of the latter genus, with extensive white and no red in their tails, are now more often called "whitestarts".
Species list
- Genus PhoenicurusPhoenicurusPhoenicurus is a genus of eleven species of birds in the family Muscicapidae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Along with three other closely related genera, they are named redstarts from their orange-red tails...
- Przevalski's Redstart (Phoenicurus alaschanicus)
- Eversmann's Redstart (Phoenicurus erythronotus)
- Blue-capped RedstartBlue-capped RedstartThe Blue-capped Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in most of the Himalayas and the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, with its range extending across...
(Phoenicurus caeruleocephala) - Black RedstartBlack RedstartThe Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush family , but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher .-Description:The Black Redstart is 13–14.5 cm in length and 12–20...
(Phoenicurus ochruros) - Common RedstartCommon RedstartThe Common Redstart , or often simply Redstart, is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus...
(Phoenicurus phoenicurus) - Hodgson's RedstartHodgson's RedstartThe Hodgson's Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Phoenicurus hodgsoni) - White-throated RedstartWhite-throated RedstartThe White-throated Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Phoenicurus schisticeps) - Daurian RedstartDaurian RedstartThe Daurian Redstart is a small passerine bird from temperate Asia. In Japan, it is known as jōbitaki .-Description and systematics:Like all typical redstarts, they are strongly sexually dimorphic...
(Phoenicurus auroreus) - Moussier's RedstartMoussier's RedstartThe Moussier's Redstart is a small passerine bird in the genus Phoenicurus , formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now classified as an Old World flycatcher . It is an endemic resident breeder in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa...
(Phoenicurus moussieri) - Güldenstädt's Redstart (Phoenicurus erythrogastrus)
- Blue-fronted RedstartBlue-fronted RedstartThe Blue-fronted Redstart is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Phoenicurus frontalis)
- Genus Chaimarrornis
- White-capped Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus
- Genus RhyacornisRhyacornisRhyacornis is a genus of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It contains the following species:* Luzon Water-redstart * Plumbeous Water-redstart...
- Plumbeous Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus
- Luzon Redstart Rhyacornis bicolor
- Genus Hodgsonius
- White-bellied RedstartWhite-bellied RedstartThe White-bellied Redstart is a species of bird of the Muscicapidae family, in the monotypic genus Hodgsonius....
Hodgsonius phaenicuroides
- White-bellied Redstart