Bird of the Month – Redwing
In the seventh instalment of our “Bird of the Month” blog we go looking for a winter visitor from the far north…When we think of migratory birds at Fingle, we tend to focus on the summer visitors such as Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, and the various species of warblers that come to Fingle to breed and raise their young. But even as the onset of Autumn sees these birds heading south to Africa, other species are leaving their breeding grounds further north to ride out the winter in the comparative warmth of the UK.Many of these are waterbirds, such as the Brent Geese which form noisy flocks around the Exe Estuary, and the Bewick’s Swans which spend the winter at Slimbridge on the River Severn. But while these winter spectacles are certainly worth a visit, it’s also possible to experience the seasonal migration much closer to home.If you step outside on a calm evening in late September or early October, after the local birds have fallen silent, you might be able to hear a soft “tseep” call from high overhead. This flight call marks the arrival of the Redwing (Turdus iliacus), a small member of the thrush family which winters in large numbers across the southern UK.Most Redwing breed in Iceland, Scandinavia and the Baltic states, with smaller populations extending further south into Europe. There are even a few pairs which nest in the UK each year, mainly in Scotland. During the summer the species frequents conifer and birch forest, as well as open tundra. They nest on or close to the ground, laying four to six eggs in a cup shaped woven nest.As autumn approaches, Redwing start to move further south. The Icelandic birds, which are actually a distinct subspecies (Turdus iliacuscoburni) usually spend the winter in western Scotland, Ireland and northern Spain, while the birds from northern Europe spread out across the continent, some reaching as far as northern Africa. Unlike many migratory birds which remain loyal to a particular wintering ground throughout their lives, Redwings will readily move to a new area if weather or food availability dictates, meaning a particularly cold winter will often see higher numbers arrive in Devon and Cornwall.At first glance you might mistake a Redwing for its relative the Song Thrush – both birds have solidly brown upperparts and a pale breast with brown spots. A closer look will show some differences though – the Redwing has a pale “supercilium” or stripe above the eye, and its flanks just below the wings have a reddish patch. When the bird flies you can see that this is part of a much more extensive red flash on the underwing which gives the bird its name.In winter Redwing are highly social and adaptable birds. They can be found in many different habitats, from farmland and woodland to urban parks and garden, and will often form large mixed flocks with other thrush species. One of their favourite foods are berries, and they seem to display an order of preference for different species, perhaps based on softness or sweetness. Soon after their arrival they will strip Rowan trees of their fruit, before moving on to Hawthorn. By mid-November these will be exhausted, and they will move on to Holly and some garden species such as Pyracantha. When the berry supplies finally run out in late winter they will turn to other food sources, searching stubble fields for fallen grain or gleaning overwintering invertebrates from trees.Redwing can be surprisingly hard to spot, and it’s often their calls that give them away first – either the “tseep” flight call, usually uttered as they dart from tree to tree, or a soft “chuck” similar to the alarm call of a Blackbird – the latter usually meaning they have spotted you and are ready to take flight if you approach any closer. Sometimes you will hear a chorus of calls coming from a single bare tree, but even with binoculars it can be hard to spot any birds, as their colours blend in so well with the winter bark. If you approach too close the birds will take flight, moving to a more distant tree where they once again seem to disappear as soon as they settle.At Fingle, one of the best places to look for Redwing in autumn is Halls Cleave, particularly the scrubby margins between the woods and the fields around the edge of Mardon Down, where hawthorn and holly provide plentiful food for the newly arrived birds. As winter progresses, they will move deeper into the site, particularly the pockets of ancient Oak woodland. They particularly like Ivy-covered trees, presumably because they afford good cover and a plentiful supply of invertebrates in the otherwise bare woodland.As wintering birds, Redwing are seldom heard singing in the UK, although they will sometimes produce a quiet sub-song when part of a large flock. On sunny days in April though, a late-staying bird will sometimes be tempted into breaking into its warbling melody, and for a brief moment the song of this winter visitor will join our spring dawn chorus before it departs on the journey back to its northern breeding grounds.[audio mp3="https://finglewoods.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Redwing.mp3"]The feeding calls of a flock of Redwing[/audio]The feeding calls of a flock of Redwing...If you would like to read the full 2020 Breeding Bird Survey report for Fingle Woods please click here.Text, audio and pictures by Tom Williams
