Redwing / Rotdrossel (Turdus iliacus)

Rotdrossel bei Wildert. 2025-10-31 16:07:54 Wildert

Observations

First documented observation: 2015-06-05 in Iceland. Most recent observation: 2025-10-31 in Wildert.

Description

Classification: Genus Turdus (Turdus); Family Thrushes (Turdidae)
General: In Switzerland these are migrants or winter guests that breed in Scandinavia. I saw a group that landed in a tree by the Luppmen. Some sang an odd song that I didn't recognize but unfortunately couldn't record. They were rather nervous and quickly flew off.
General: I had an interesting educational experience with fieldfares! At the end of December 2020 I saw redwings in Fehraltorf for the first time. They're a winter guest that breeds in Scandinavia. Jan 2021 I saw one from our dining room window, and two days later saw 31 of them land in four trees along the Luppmen brook, and spontaneously decided to report them via the eBird app. The next day I got an automated response saying this was an unusually high number, and that I should document the sighting further. I added pictures of the group in the trees pus one of an individual close up. Then I got a nice e-mail from eBird volunteer Raphaël Nussbaumer, an Earth Science PhD and postdoc at the Swiss Ornithological Institute, saying that my redwings were fieldfares. I checked the guide books and apps, and that seemed plausible. I was surprised that none of them mentioned the danger of confusing the two, which are actually quite similar (and related). I checked the closeup I took on December 31 and asked Raphaël if it was actually a redwing, and he confirmed it. So I actually found two (to me) new thrushes within 3 weeks. He noted 'they are often found mixed with fieldfare or mistle thrush, so one has to be careful to check the entire group and not assume that all are redwings. I saw 8 similar looking birds when I saw the actual redwing, and while I think there's more than one redwing there, I can't see the whole flock well enough to be sure.
General: Deutschland: Brut-, Zugvogel, Wintergast
Appearance and identification: Vogelwarte.ch describes just what I saw. In translation, somewhat smaller than a song thrush and distinguishable from them by the prominent white stripe above the eye and the rust-red feathers under the wings. [Link]
Seasonal Behavior: 'Regelmässiger Durchzügler, regelmässiger Wintergast', darum nur im Winter in Fehraltorf [Link]
Vocalization: First a simple, melodic phrase of 3 - 6 notes, usually followed by a more silent, indistinct, fast and less melodic, chattering sequence. First part highly variable from place to place, but constant in individuals. Often causes confusion when a new dialect is heard at a distance, since only the first part is far-reaching, and the diagnostic two-part structure gets lost. [Link]

Seasonal behavior

Year-round bird
Migration in: 02-10 - 04-20
Migration out: 09-17 - 12-07
More details at Vogelwarte.ch

Other Details

Physical details

Physical details: length=21 cm, wingspan=33-34 cm, weight=50-75 g
Habitats: Forest

Vocalisation

Song: Song delivered in two parts. First a simple, melodic phrase of 3 - 6 notes, usually followed by a more silent, indistinct, fast and less melodic, chattering sequence. First part highly variable from place to place, but constant in individuals. [Link]
Song: Song delivered in two parts. [Link] Song attributes: Mnemnoic: down 6+chattering Melody: stereotype melodic, slow, Frequency: 3-5 KHz
XC320315 - Redwing - Turdus iliacus. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC320315 - Redwing - Turdus iliacus.mp3 (song)


Calls: Contact call a thin, drawn and sharp "sreee". Often heard at night during migration. Alarm call harder, dryer and more raucous than other thrushes. [Link] No details but a Xeno-Canto recording.
XC678455 - Redwing - Turdus iliacus - single call.

XC678455 - Redwing - Turdus iliacus - single call. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC678455 - Redwing - Turdus iliacus - single call.mp3 (call)


Call attributes: song Frequency: ,