The redwing is a bird in the thrush family, Turdidae, native to Europe and the Palearctic, slightly smaller than the related song thrush.
Region
Palearctic
Typical Environment
Breeds in the taiga and subarctic birch and willow scrub from Iceland and Scandinavia across northern Russia to western Siberia. In winter it moves to milder parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Prefers forest edges, clearings, peatlands, and shrub zones for nesting, shifting to farmland, hedgerows, parks, and coastal scrub outside the breeding season. Often forms mixed-species flocks with other thrushes in winter and ranges widely in search of berry crops.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The redwing is a small thrush with a bold creamy eye-stripe and rusty-red flanks and underwings. It breeds across the boreal zones of northern Europe and Siberia and moves south and west in large flocks for the winter. Nocturnal migration is common, and its thin, high ‘seep’ call is often heard overhead on clear nights. In winter it frequently feeds in orchards and berry-laden hedgerows and may join fieldfares and other thrushes.
A spectrogram showing an example of the song structure of a redwing in Iceland. Terminology is applied.
Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
Nests are often constructed on the ground.
Temperament
wary and active
Flight Pattern
strong, direct flight with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Forms loose colonies in breeding areas but is generally territorial around the nest. Outside the breeding season it gathers in sizable flocks, often mixing with fieldfares and other thrushes. Nests are cup-shaped, placed low in shrubs or small trees, and typically hold 4–6 speckled eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song is a soft, thin warble with gentle phrases, less powerful than the song thrush. Calls include a high, piercing ‘seep’ frequently heard during nocturnal migration and a sharper ‘tzip’ when flushed.
Plumage
Brown upperparts with darker mottling, creamy-white supercilium, and heavily streaked breast with a whiter belly; striking rusty-red flanks and underwings visible in flight.
Diet
In the breeding season it mainly takes earthworms, beetles, caterpillars, and other invertebrates gleaned from the ground and low vegetation. In autumn and winter it shifts heavily to berries such as rowan, hawthorn, holly, and juniper. It may also peck at fallen fruit in orchards and gardens.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on short turf, pastures, bog edges, and forest clearings by hopping and pausing to probe the soil. In winter it frequents hedgerows, berry thickets, and orchards, often moving erratically to track food availability.
