American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Parulidae

American Redstart (Muscicapa Ruticilla) by Toronto Public Library Special Collections is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 — Audubon print of American Redstart

Jason Major — Male singing to proclaim his territory

Tom Younkin — Wide beak helps to snap up insects in flight

American Redstart HDR 20160511 by Kenneth Cole Schneider is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 — Male in silver maple, mid-spring

American Redstart Female by Kurayba is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 — Female with insect prey in beak

American Redstart by Russ Wigh is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 — Male flashing his colors

American Redstart 20121012 by Kenneth Cole Schneider is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 — Female flashing wings

Female American Redstart in flight 05-14-2014 016 by Richard Hurd is licensed under CC BY 2.0 — Female flutters wings to rouse insects from foliage

American Redstart (female) by Jeremy Meyer is licensed under CC BY 2.0 — Female fans her tail

American Redstart by ZakPohlen is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 — Immature male fanning tail

American Redstart on nest by Dan Arndt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 — Female on nest

Baby American Redstart by Hal Trachtenberg is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 — Totally helpless nestling

American Redstart by Anita363 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 — Juvenile male?

American Redstart (immature male) by Becky Matsubara is licensed under CC BY 2.0 — Female, or immature male

Juvenile American Redstart male. by corvidaceous is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 — Juvenile male in August

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) by almiyi is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 — Male gradually assuming breeding plumage

Candelita Migratoria [American Redstart] (Setophaga ruticilla) (♂) by barloventomagico is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 — Male dining in Caracas, Venezuela early February

A good spot to catch a glimpse of the colorful American Redstart as it passes through Salter Grove would be the upland woods during spring migration from early to mid-May. Slowly scan the canopy between Upland Trail markers U3 and U4, or between markers P2 and P4 along the Pond Trail. It is an active warbler that flashes its colorful wing and tail patches to flush insect prey from the foliage.

The American Redstart is a sexually dimorphic warbler that breeds in the woodland of northern and eastern North America and winters in Central and northern South America. The adult male has bright orange patches that contrasts against its black body whereas the female has a more subtle brown plumage with yellow patches. Males in their first year have a plumage similar to that of females.

For more information:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Redstart
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-redstart
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_redstart
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Setophaga_ruticilla/