Redstart

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Redstarts
Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Muscicapidae
Genera and species
See text.

Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family (Turdidae), but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae). There are two main groups: the true redstarts of the genus Phoenicurus and the more aberrant and not too closely related White-capped, Plumbeous, Luzon, and White-bellied Redstarts.

These are insectivorous ground feeding birds, many of which have the red tail ("start" is the modern English reflex of Middle English stert, Old English steort, tail of an animal), which gives the group its name. Most northern species are strong migrants.

New World redstarts of the genera Setophaga and Myioborus are not closely related; they are New World warblers of the family Parulidae. Members of the latter genus are sometimes called "whitestarts".

FAMILY MUSCICAPIDAE

• Genus Phoenicurus
  • Rufous-backed Redstart, Phoenicurus erythronota
  • Blue-capped Redstart, Phoenicurus caeruleocephalus
  • Blue-fronted Redstart, Phoenicurus frontalis
  • Ala Shan Redstart, Phoenicurus alaschanicus
  • Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus
  • White-throated Redstart, Phoenicurus schisticeps
  • Hodgson's Redstart, Phoenicurus hodgsoni
  • Daurian Redstart, Phoenicurus auroreus
  • White-winged Redstart, Phoenicurus erythrogaster
  • Moussier's Redstart, Phoenicurus moussieri
  • Black Redstart, Phoenicurus ochruros

• Genus Chaimarrornis
  • White-capped Redstart, Chaimarrornis leucocephalus

• Genus Rhyacornis
  • Plumbeous Redstart, Rhyacornis fuliginosus
  • Luzon Redstart, Rhyacornis bicolor

• Genus Hodgsonius
  • White-bellied Redstart, Hodgsonius phaenicuroides