British Garden Birds - Redwings

The Redwing is a small lively bird that travels to the UK in the winter. They are seen in British towns more often when the weather is severe.

This small thrush is a winter migrant to the UK and can be seen almost anywhere. They are quite common and to be found mostly in parks or woodland, although severe weather can drive them into gardens looking for food.

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Is This Bird a Thrush or a Redwing?

At first glance, the light speckled chest can lead you to believe that you are looking at a song thrush, but then you notice that the bird is smaller, a little bigger than a starling. It has a buff chest with brown streaks running through. This may have led you to your original thought that you have seen a thrush. You may notice the light yellow streaks on either side of the head, through the eyes, and then finally you will see the red patch under the wing which gives the bird its name.They eat worms, snails, slugs and berries, so will not come to the bird table, but be found checking under hedges for hiding invertebrates. They may also be attracted by fallen fruit. They are fast little birds, able to move quickly when they want to, but they can also be inquisitive, eying you as curiously as you are looking at them.

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Winter Migrants to the UK

Redwings travel from Scandinavia or Iceland: the Icelandic birds can be slightly larger and darker and tend to roost in Ireland and Scotland. The Icelandic birds often roost in the rest of Britain.Redwings tend to arrive in October or November and leave again by March or April. A very few pairs stay in the UK to build nests and mate – some estimates are around 17 pairs of an estimated 650,000 birds that come and visit. They mostly breed in Northern Scotland, nesting in trees, tree stumps, banks and bushes. The eggs are incubated from between 10 – 16 days and the chicks are fed by both parents. The chicks fledge from between 10 – 15 days and the pair often raise two broods.

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The warbling song of males is not therefore often heard, but you may hear them call to one another. They can be part of large flocks in open land or flying overhead on their way to another part of the country, but are seen only singly or in pairs in the garden.The redwing is a red-listed bird on the conversation list which means that it is considered at risk. This is because of the small number of pairs raising broods in the country.