Archipelago Wildlife Library

The song is a high pitched hurried warble, followed by a scrunching sound ⁽¹⁾. It can also make a short tsip, tucc, titititic sound, which can carry a long way ⁽²⁾.

The Black Redstart leaps and flies after insects, drops to the ground from a high perch or boulder to pick up food from the ground ⁽²⁾.  Their flight is quick and agile able to dart through small spaces, with bursts of flicking wing beats.

Male Black Redstarts sing intensively during two phases: firstly at the start of their breading season (late March) until July, and secondly from mid-September until mid-October before the birds leave their breeding grounds to migrate to their winter quarters.

Phoenicurus ochruros spends the summer breading season on mountain tops above 1000 meters, during the winter they occupy lower levels. They prefer rocky habitats with scattered bushes or stunted trees. Small isolated building and dry stone walls are also known to be habitats for these birds during winter months ⁽³⁾. The Black Redstart also readily occupies towns and villages within older buildings, or over rough waste ground ⁽²⁾.

They breed high up mountains, above 1000 m.  Breeding populations in Greece are approximately 10,000-30,000 ⁽³⁾.  Nests are built from grass and moss and form a cup shape, lined with wool, feathers and hair. The females build the nest and incubate the eggs alone. The eggs of Phoenicurus ochruros are smooth and glossy approximately 14 mm to19 mm in length. Both parents work together to feed the young. Two clutches can be laid a year, each clutch consists of four to six eggs. The eggs are incubated for 13 to 17 days and young fledge after 12 to 19 days ⁽¹⁾.

It is fairly widespread and locally common resident of Greece.  It is also a widespread winter visitor (from late October), breeding on much of the mainland including the Peloponnese.  It is scarce on the islands, although they are known to bread on Samothraki ⁽³⁾.

Most birds from northern and central Europe migrate south for winter to Mediterranean areas ⁽⁴⁾. Greece is known to have both summer breeding birds and migrant wintering birds. Birds that breed in the mountains of Greece move to lower altitudes during the winter months.

They feed upon invertbrates, including various Arachnid species along with Lumbricus terrestris (European Earthworm) ⁽⁵⁾.  In autumn they will also eat berries and seeds ⁽¹⁾.

IUCN Red List = Least Concern ⁽⁶⁾

(1)   Garden Birds – Gains. D (2008) Black Redstart [online] Available:

http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/blackredstart.htm [date accessed: 07/06/2009]

(2)   Weggler. M. (2000) Reproductive consequences of autumnal singing in black redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruris),The Auk, 117: 65-73

(3)   Handrinos. G. and Akriotis. P. (1997) The birds of Greece, A&C Black, London

(4)   Hume. R. (2002) Complete birds of Britain and Europe, Dorling Kindersley, London

(5)   RSPB (2008) Black Redstart [online] Available: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/blackredstart/index.asp [date accessed: 07/06/2009]

(6)   IUCN (2009) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [online] Available:

http://iucnredlist.org [date accessed: 24/06/2009]