From Opus

Photo by Peter de Haas
Junam reservoir, Korea, May 2005

Phoenicurus auroreus

[edit] Identification

6" (15 cm.) Sexually dimorphic.
Both sexes have black bill and feet.
Male: Crown and nape grey, edged with silver; throat, lores, and cheeks black; mantle and wings brownish-black, with a large, white wing patch; remaining plumage reddish-rufous, with darker-colored central tail feathers.
Female: brown, with a large, white wing-patch, buffy eyering; tail reddish-rufous like male, but more dull; vent may also be rufous.

Female
Photo by Neil
Hong Kong, China, March 2008

[edit] Confusion species

White-winged Redstart is larger, with a larger white wing patch and silver-white crown and nape in the male, female much paler and lacking the white wing patch. Male Hodgson's Redstart paler, with white eyebrow and smaller, narrower wing patch. Male White-throated Redstart with white throat patch, wing patch a long thin streak with white tertial edges. Black Redstart without white wing patch in either sex.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds from north-easter Asia to south-western China, winters in Japan, southern China, Taiwan, northern Indochina, and Myanmar.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies^[1]:

• P. a. auroreus:

• Southern Siberia to Mongolia; winters to Japan and Ryukyu Islands

• P. a. leucopterus:

• Western China to south-eastern Tibet and north-western Thailand; winters to northern Myanmar

[edit] Habitat

Breeds in summer in subalpine forest, winters in lower deciduous scrub and cultivated land. Usually a common bird in suitable habitat.

[edit] Behaviour

Frequently shivers or shakes the tail.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, seeds and berries.

[edit] Vocalisation

Song: a series of clear whistled notes; call may be a few soft whistles followed by tac, tac notes, or a sharp peep or hit, wheet.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Birding In Taiwan

• List of references

[edit] External Links