Redstart

Name: Redstart

Scientific name: Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Category: Birds

Nature Stars: 60

What are nature stars?

About: An elegant, robin-sized chat. Redstarts have an upright stance, with long black legs and a relatively long red tail. Redstarts are summer visitors, arriving here in April and leaving in September. Males are grey above, with a red breast, black throat and

How to identify: The similar Black Redstart is a very rare nesting bird in city centres and industrial areas, although more common on migration when it can turn up in similar places to Redstart. The male Black Redstart has a sooty grey chest and belly with a big white pat

Where: Widespread, although rare or absent from eastern and central England. Can turn up anywhere during migration.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 50
• Agility: 60
• Rarity: 50
• Cute factor: 50
• Traveller: 80

Fantastic fact: Redstarts are named after their red tail, which they frequently 'shiver'.

Photograph credit: Mark Kilner