Redstarts

(Phoenicurus), a genus of songbirds of the family Turdidae of the order Passeriformes. The body is 13.5–16 cm long. The coloration is a combination of rust, black, brown, and white; the tail of most species is rust-colored; the males are more brightly colored than the females. There are ten species, found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They live in forests, gardens, shrub thickets, and along riverbanks; they even settle near human dwellings. The northern birds are migratory, while birds living in the mountains migrate in winter to the valleys. They nest in tree hollows, rock fissures, and on the ground under bushes. Their food consists of insects and berries. In the USSR there are six species, including the common redstart, the black redstart, Siberian redstart, and the red-backed redstart. In the Pamir-Alai there is found the related white-capped redstart (Chaimarrornis leucocephala).