American redstart

bird

Also known as: Setophaga ruticilla, common redstart

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is a fly-catching warbler native to eastern North America. Males are predominantly black with a white belly and bright orange markings on their sides, wings, and tail. Females are generally olivaceous with pale yellow markings.1

This species is part of the New World warbler family, Parulidae. They are known for their active, flycatcher-like behavior, often seen flirting or shivering their tails. The American redstart breeds from Canada to the southern United States and migrates to tropical America for the winter.2

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redstart
The common, or American, redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) breeds from Canada to the southern United States and winters in tropical America; the male is mostly black, with red wing and tail markings. Another strikingly marked form is the painted redstart (S. picta), found from southern Arizona to Nicaragua. Both…
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The common, or American, redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) breeds from Canada to the southern United States and winters in tropical America; the male is mostly black, with red wing and tail markings. Another strikingly marked form is the painted redstart (S. picta), found from southern Arizona to Nicaragua. Both…
Read More