Wednesday, March 15, 2023

American Redstart

The American redstart is a warbler that breeds in Canada and the U.S. (mostly the eastern U.S.) and winters in the Caribbean, northern South America, Central America, southern Mexico and the Pacific coast of Mexico and California and small portions of southern Florida. The Latin name, ruticilla, means red (rutilus) tail (cilla). Start is an old word for tail. 
At Rocklands Bird Sanctuary.

Breeding males are black above with large orange-red patches on their wings and tails. The sides of the breast are also orange with the rest of the underparts white. Non-breeding males have green in their upperparts with black central tails and gray heads. Females have yellow in the place of the orange patches on the breast of breeding males.  
Near Konoko Falls.
I saw redstarts at Rocklands Bird Sanctuary near Montego Bay and near Konoko Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I'd never hear of a redstart before preparing for our trip to Jamaica and looking at bird lists.
Range of the American redstart from Wikipedia. 
 

1 comment:

  1. What a beautiful new (to you) bird! Now I am curious about the etymology of the word "start" for "tail."

    ReplyDelete