Redwing

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Common bird: +1 point when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Fields, hedges (winter).
Diet: Berries, worms.
Best time to spot: Winter visitor from N. Europe.

When to look

A winter visitor, typically in the UK from October through to April. Numbers peak in January. See the January birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Redwing sits in our Common tier for the UK: one of the birds you can expect on most days out in the right habitat. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• FieldfareUncommon · Hedgerows
• Red-throated ThrushLegendary · Fields
• BlackbirdCommon · Gardens
• Mistle ThrushCommon · Parkland
• Song ThrushCommon · Gardens
• American RobinEpic · Gardens

Tell it apart

Side-by-side ID guides: Redwing vs Fieldfare.

Kit that helps

Bird ID starter kit. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.