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Gary Martin | all galleries >> Galleries >> British birds > Redwing (Turdus iliacus)
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10-JAN-2009

Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

The redwing is most commonly encountered as a winter bird and is the UK's smallest true thrush. Its creamy strip above the eye and orange-red flank patches mak it distinctive. They roam across the UK's countryside, feeding in fields and hedgerows, rarely visiting gardens, except in the coldest weather when snow covers the fields. Only a few pairs nest in the UK.

In open countryside it likes hedges and orchards as well as open, grassy fields. Will come to parks and gardens. Often joins with flocks of fieldfares.

Migrants arrive from September, with most in October and November. They leave again in March and April, although occasionally birds stay later.
What they eat

Berries and worms
(Info from rspb.org)

Canon EOS 1D
1/320s f/6.3 at 400.0mm iso500 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Susan 23-Jun-2015 11:06
I think I saw one in my garden today. Never seen a bird like it before
Guest 24-Feb-2015 18:58
While feeding my ponies this morning I saw a beautiful bird which at first glance I thought was a robin, but when I looked again it was more the size of a thrush. It had a red chest and a white/cream flash above its eye. I have looked it up and I think it was a redwing, while I was looking at this one particular bird I noticed several more. They were so pretty.
Vikki (Backworth, Newcastle upon Tyne)
Guest 23-Jan-2013 14:48
Sorry just to add we are in Fleet, Hants.
Guest 23-Jan-2013 14:46
I have just seen 3 of these birds feeding on the ground in my garden & was amazed having never seen one before but, having now looked it up, I now understand why... there's lots of snow at the moment!
jillie harkness 19-Jan-2013 23:54
I saw this bird in Knole Park in Sevenoaks Kent this week in the snow. I was so amazed by its colours that I rushed home to look it up. I had never seen one of these birds before . Knole Park is, in places, a densely wooded deer park which in the hurricane of 1987 lost huge amounts of trees. It offers a wonderful habitat for unusual birds and wild life.
This was a huge joy to see. Unfortunately i couldn't get me camera out in time : (
Jane Alison Thake 20-Feb-2012 07:29
sorry for the mistake i mean Redwings not Lapwing,
Jane
Guest 19-Feb-2012 09:27
Hi My husband and i are keen bird watchers and we know the names of most birds that visit our garden One morning we saw 23 birds babies and adults which we had never seen before we thought they were Thrushes. They came 10-20 times a day in the snow eating the rowan berries. This lasted about 2 weeks now they have all gone. It was amazing site and now we know they were lapwings we can add them to our list. This was a magnificant site i just had to tell someone.
Regards
Jane
Nick Meadows 12-Feb-2012 21:22
have just identified these birds as redwings , approx 12-15 of them eating the berries from my holly tree yesterday and today in Kenton, Middlesex.
Guest 12-Feb-2012 13:25
Just seen these pretty birds in my garden eating berries. Therevwere about 10 of them all came and went together. Very bright yelllow eye markings. We are in East Grinstead.
Guest 12-Feb-2012 08:33
Have seen about twenty of these beautiful little birds on our crab apple tree which they have stripped bare over a few days!. Never seen these here before. In Stourbridge, West Miidlands.
Carryn Brewer 11-Feb-2012 14:24
Just seen about 24 in the trees in neighbours garden this morning - never seen them before. Glad I could identify them from this photo, thanks. Live in Bromley, Kent
terry 10-Feb-2012 14:43
got about30in my garden on a berry tree
annie 09-Feb-2012 10:30
Just had one in my garden eating cotoneaster berries, Very pretty bird. Live near guildford
Guest 09-Feb-2012 09:40
4 on holly bush in Amersham, Bucks
Guest 08-Feb-2012 15:22
Just had a pair if these in my garden. I've never seen them before. I live in urban greater London so supprised they are here!
John Mc Aloran 28-Dec-2010 09:57
This sighting is in Portadown, Northern Ireland.
John Mc Aloran 28-Dec-2010 09:52
I have a cotoneaster in my garden which was loaded with red berries before Christmas and the redwings and blackbirds have completely stripped it. Due to the harsh wintry conditions the redwings were in the berries every day but the blackbirds seemed to be the more dominant species and when they came along they drove the redwings away until they had got fed. I fed them with apples slices and bird food during the snow, and as soon as the snow went away they all disappeared. This is a repeat performance of last January 2010 when we had heavy snow and severe frost. It was nice to see them here.
Guest 27-Dec-2010 22:16
27/12/10 a pair in the garden, never spotted these before in english garden- Rugby. Very striking.
sharon dudley 27-Dec-2010 12:23
hi i have two red wings in my garden in devon never seen them before lovely birds , thanks for identifying them for me . .
pat 24-Dec-2010 14:25
spotted one feeding on my lawn today bickington devon.
Guest 23-Dec-2010 15:51
In Exeter. At least six Redwings feeding on cottoneaster berries.
Small urban garden.
Guest 19-Dec-2010 12:27
Sheila Devon
Have seen several Redwings feeding on Cotoneaster berries in my garden today.19th December 2010
jason lye 19-Dec-2010 11:07
just seen about 4 redwings in the garden feeding on berries in the small garden in yeovil somerset
julie 11-Jan-2010 14:55
julie- essex
flock of eight redwings eating holly berries 8th jan 2010.
Guest 10-Jan-2010 13:39
I live in the far west of Cornwall and this cold morning have a gang of around 12 to 15 redwings in my garden, raiding the ground for food
Barbr 08-Jan-2010 19:08
So that't what it is...I thought it was a thrush of somesort...Been watching one enjoying the fallen apples in my very snowy garden in South Wirral. The blackbirds are't getting a look in though as he sees them off good style....hope to capture it on camera tomorrow
sarah 08-Jan-2010 15:43
hello, i had a pair of redwings in the garden probably hungry due to snow i have not seen them before are they unusual?
Clive Turnbull 02-Feb-2009 19:27
Solved one for us in Cheshire. Definitely one, maybe two spotted in our garden over the weekend. Snowing really heavy so fits in with description. First time I have seen one of these birds. The other birds don't seem to care for him very much!
Guest 11-Jan-2009 14:12
Thank you for sorting out that mystery. We have a pair of redwings in our garden at present. They arrived about 2 weeks ago when it was particularly cold.
Jess. ( Lady.D.)10-Jan-2009 17:01
Excellent image Gary, really nice to see some natural setting and background, well captured....