redstart

redstart
/red"stahrt'/, n.
1. any of several small, Old World thrushes, usually with reddish-brown tails, esp. Phoenicurus phoenicurus (European redstart).
2. any of several fly-catching, New World warblers, esp. Setophaga ruticilla (American redstart), having black and white plumage with reddish-orange patches.
[1560-70; RED1 + obs. start tail (ME start, stert tail, handle, OE steort tail; akin to OHG sterz, ON stertr)]

* * *

Any of about 11 species of Old World chat-thrushes (see chat) in the genus Phoenicurus (family Turdidae) or about 12 New World species of wood warblers (family Parulidae) of similar appearance and behaviour.

Old World redstarts have a red tail, which they constantly flit or shiver. They are about 6 in. (14 cm) long. The male common redstart (P. phoenicurus) is gray, with a black face and throat and reddish breast. New World redstarts (genera Setophaga and Myioborus) are usually strikingly marked with black, white, and red.

Common, or American, redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

(Top) Stephen Dalton
Natural History Photographic Agency, (bottom) Hal H. Harrison from Grant Heilman
EB Inc.

* * *

▪ Phoenicurus
 any of about 11 bird species of the Old World chat-thrush genus Phoenicurus (family Turdidae), or any of a dozen New World birds of vaguely similar appearance and behaviour. The Old World redstarts, 14 centimetres (5 1/2 inches) long, are named for their tail colour (Middle English stert, “tail”). They constantly flirt or shiver their tails and have flycatcher-like habits. The common redstart (P. phoenicurus) breeds across temperate Eurasia; the male is gray, with black face and throat, reddish breast, and red-brown tail.

      New World redstarts are woodwarbler (wood warbler)s (q.v.; family Parulidae). The common, or American, redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) breeds from Canada to the southern United States and winters in tropical America; the male is mostly black, with red wing and tail markings. Another strikingly marked form is the painted redstart (S. picta), found from southern Arizona to Nicaragua. Both sexes are primarily black, with large white patches on the wings and the sides of the tail and a bright red belly. Its grassy, cuplike nest is built on the ground, usually on a steep bank. Similarly handsome tropical forms are the 10 species of Myioborus, into which genus the painted redstart is now placed.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Redstart — Red start ( st?rt ), n. [Red + start tail.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A small, handsome European singing bird ({Phoenicurus phoenicurus}, formerly {Ruticilla phoenicurus}), allied to the nightingale; called also {redtail}, {brantail}, {fireflirt},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • redstart — [red′stärt΄] n. [ RED + obs. start < ME stert, tail < OE steort: see STARK NAKED ] ☆ 1. any of various wood warblers; esp. the American redstart ( Setophaga ruticilla), the male of which is black and orange above and white below 2. any of a …   English World dictionary

  • Redstart — Taxobox name = Redstarts image width = 240px image caption = Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Passeriformes familia = Muscicapidae subdivision ranks = Genera and species… …   Wikipedia

  • redstart — /ˈrɛdstat/ (say redstaht) noun 1. any of various birds native to Asia and Europe, of the genus Phoenicurus, family Muscicapidae, the males of which have a reddish brown tail, especially the common redstart, P. Phoenicurus, of western Eurasia and… …  

  • redstart — raudonuodeginiai parulidai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Myioborus angl. redstart rus. горихвостковый певун, m pranc. paruline, f ryšiai: platesnis terminas – parulidiniai siauresnis terminas – akiniuotasis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • redstart — tikrosios raudonuodegės statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Phoenicurus angl. redstart vok. Rotschwanz, m rus. горихвостка, f; настоящая горихвостка, f pranc. rouge queue, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – kiauliukės siauresnis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • redstart — noun Etymology: red + obsolete start handle, tail Date: circa 1570 1. a small Old World songbird (Phoenicurus phoenicurus of the family Turdidae) with the male having a white brow, black throat, and chestnut breast and tail 2. an American warbler …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • redstart — noun Any of various insectivorous ground feeding birds, mainly of the genus Phoenicurus. Many of the species have a red tail …   Wiktionary

  • redstart — noun 1》 a small songbird of the thrush family with a reddish tail. [Phoenicurus phoenicurus and other species.] 2》 an American warbler with red or orange markings. [Setophaga ruticilla and other species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • redstart — red•start [[t]ˈrɛdˌstɑrt[/t]] n. 1) orn any of several New World wood warblers that habitually fan their tails, esp. Setophaga ruticilla, the male of which is mostly black with orange wing and tail patches 2) orn any of several small Eurasian… …   From formal English to slang

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”