Güldenstädt's Redstart
A species of Typical Redstarts Scientific name : Phoenicurus erythrogastrus Genus : Typical Redstarts
Güldenstädt's Redstart, A species of Typical Redstarts
Botanical name: Phoenicurus erythrogastrus
Genus: Typical Redstarts
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Fabrice Stoger , used under CC-BY-SA-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
Güldenstädt's redstart (Phoenicurus erythrogastrus) also sometimes called the white-winged redstart, is a species of bird in the genus Phoenicurus, family Muscicapidae. It is found in the high mountains of the southwestern and central Palearctic in the Caucasus, Karakoram, Pamir, Himalaya, Tian Shan, and Altai, in the countries of Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is one of the largest redstarts, 18 cm long and 21–29 g weight. The adult male is black above except for a white crown, a white patch on the wing, and an orange-red tail; below, the throat and upper breast are black, and the rest of the underparts a rich orange-red. The female and immature male are brown above and orange-buff below, with an orange-red tail. It breeds at high altitudes from 3,600–5,200 m in alpine meadows and rock-fields, moving slightly lower to 1,500–4,800 m in winter where it occurs mainly in subalpine Hippophae scrub; some populations, notably the northernmost in the mountains around Lake Baikal, migrate further, reaching northeastern China. It feeds on fruit and a wide variety of invertebrates.
Size
18 cm
Feeding Habits
Güldenstädt's Redstart primarily consumes insects like moths and spiders in summer and switches to berries, especially sea buckthorn, in winter. It also eats invertebrates, various fruits, seeds, and occasionally scavenges. Güldenstädt's Redstart forages actively from perch to perch, and males at high elevations may feed in snow.
Habitat
Güldenstädt's Redstart thrives in alpine environments characterized by rugged, rocky terrain interspersed with patches of cold-tolerant vegetation. During breeding season, it occupies habitats such as boulder-strewn meadows, dry streambeds, stonefields, screes, flat high pass areas, and mountain gorges. In winter, güldenstädt's Redstart prefers rocky, scrubby hillsides near flowing water, as well as rocky moraines and thicket-dense valley bottoms, showing a preference for areas with abundant Hippophae, also known as sea buckthorn. This species is associated with broad geographical regions featuring significant alpine and subalpine zones.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Fabrice Stoger , used under CC-BY-SA-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Old world flycatchers Genus
Typical Redstarts Species
Güldenstädt's Redstart