The Redstart 



This species is fairly common in England except in the 

 south-west, where it becomes very rare. In Scotland it is 

 local but widely distributed. In Ireland, however, it is 

 only known to breed in one or two counties. 



THE BLACK REDSTART 



Ruticilla titys (Scopoli) 



The Black Eedstart occurs with us as a regular autumn 

 migrant but only in small numbers, frequently remaining 

 till well on in winter. On the Continent south of 52° it 

 is an extremely abundant summer visitor, becoming more 

 numerous in the east. In the southern limits of its range 

 and in North Africa it is resident, though its numbers 

 become augmented each season by individuals that have 

 bred farther north. 



The male is extremely dark in appearance and may be 

 easily recognised from the Common Eedstart by its uniformly 

 black breast, the white outer margins to the secondaries, 

 and black under wing coverts. The hen is much darker 

 than our bird, especially on the back, which is of a uniform 

 umber brown, but the unfailing characteristic of this 

 species in all plumages and at all seasons is the dark 

 hrown or blackish under wing coverts. Length 5*75 in. ; 

 wing 3*4 in. 



33 



