American redstarts spend most of the year in the tropics. They usually arrive in their wintering grounds in September and return to their breeding grounds in the United States and Canada in mid-April.
Migration Distance
Their migration routes may cover more than 2,500 miles as they cross the Gulf of Mexico and head towards the Bahamas.
Migration Route and Stopover Sites
American redstarts breed in eastern and northern United States and Canada. They leave their breeding ground in July to head for the tropics, where they spend the winter in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Migration Hazards
Collision with TV towers
Population
The American redstart is one of the most abundant North American birds with a population numbering in the millions. However, the population is declining.
Interesting Facts
The American redstart is referred to as "the butterfly of the bird world" because of its quick fluttering motions and bright orange color on the wings and tail.
The male is occasionally polygynous, but unlike other polygynous birds that have two females in the same territory, the redstart holds two separate territories and starts attracting a second female after the first female is incubating her eggs.
The American redstart is known by some in the tropics as the "latrine bird" because of its tendency to look for flies around outhouse and garbage dumps. It is also known in the tropics as the "Christmas bird" because it appears in the region at Christmas time.
Almost all of their migration is done at night.
|
