Redwing

Redwing
Redwing bird.jpg
: Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Passeriformes : Turdidae : Turdus : iliacus
Binomial name
Turdus iliacus Linnaeus, 1766

The Redwing (Turdus iliacus) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.

It breeds in conifer and birch forest and tundra in northern Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in Great Britain and Ireland, but winters in large numbers in these countries.

Redwings nest in shrubs or on the ground, laying several eggs in a neat nest. Migrating birds and wintering birds often form large flocks, often with fieldfares.

The Redwing is similar in size to the Song Thrush. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects and worms in summer, and berries in winter.

The sexes are similar, with plain brown backs and streaked white underparts. The most striking identification features are the red flanks and underwing, and the white stripe above the eye.

The male has a varied short song, and a whistling flight call.

public domain image from a 1905 field guide

See also: Red-winged Blackbird, an unrelated North American species, which is an Icterid, family Icteridae.