American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla

TAXONOMY:

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Setophaga
Species: ruticilla

Male American Redstart

Immature American Redstart

MORPHOLOGY:

Male: Has a black colored dorsal side, and the throat and upper breast are colored black. Lower breast is white. Has orange patches on sides and wings and bright orange patches on the tail feathers.
Female: Dorsal side is olive-gray and ventral side is white. Has yellow patches on sides, wings, and tail feathers. Has a thin, incomplete white eye-ring.
Immature: Male-Like adult female except side patch more of a darker yellow than the yellow found under the wing. Female-Like adult female, except lacks or shows reduced wing patches.

FOOD: insectivorous, rarely eats seeds and fruit (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

MATING SYSTEM: monogamous (Ehrlich et al., 1988).

BREEDING SYSTEM:

Where Breeds: Breeds in open deciduous woodland, mixed woodlands, orchards, secondary growth forests, trees in clearings, cultivated areas, shade trees, and shrubberies (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nest: The nest is found in a vertical fork of a sapling, shrub, or tree (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). They will occasionally use an old nest of a vireo (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is a firm, compact cup made out of grasses, bark fibers, bark strips, small rootlets, and vine tendrils (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is bound with spiders' web (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). He nest is ornamented externally with lichen flakes, birch bark, seed heads, and plant down (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is lined with fine grasses, plant and bark fibers, and hair (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The nest is built by the female in 7 days or more (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in late May to early June (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). This species is single-brooded (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Eggs: There are 3 to 5 eggs laid in a clutch (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are suelliptical to short subelliptical in shape and white to creamy-white or tinted grayish or greenish in background color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eggs are speckled brown to brown-gray (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The average size of an egg is 16 X 12 mm (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Incubation: the incubation period is 12 days and is done by the female (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).
Nestling: The young are born altricial and downy, with the down being brown in color (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The mouth is red and the gape flanges are yellow of the young (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The young fledge from the nest 9 days after hatching and are tended by both parents while in the nest (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997). The eyes of the young open 4 days after hatching (Baicicich and Harrison, 1997).

MIGRATION STATUS IN WISCONSIN:
The American redstart is a neotropical migrant.

REFERENCES:
Baicicich, P.J. and Harrison, C.J.O. 1997. A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd edition. Academic Press: San Diego.

Ehrlich, P.R., Dobkin, D.S., and Wheye, D. 1988. The Birder’s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc.: New York.

Stokes, D.W. and Stokes, L.Q. 1996. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region. Little, Brown and Co.: Boston.

Last Updated: March 27, 2005

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