The American Redstart is the warbler that seems to be constantly performing. It fans its tail and droops its wings to flash bold orange (or yellow, in females and young males) patches, startling insects into flight so it can snatch them mid-air. Adult males are glossy black with flame-orange panels on the wings, tail, and sides; females and first-year males trade the black and orange for soft gray-olive and lemon-yellow. Few Michigan birds are as animated to watch.
Redstarts breed throughout Michigan's deciduous and mixed woodlands, favoring young, shrubby second growth over mature forest. First-year males, still in female-like plumage, will hold territories and even attract mates — an unusual trait among songbirds. By September they funnel south toward Caribbean and Central American wintering grounds, where they defend feeding territories all over again.
An active aerial insectivore. It flushes insects by flashing its wing and tail patches, then catches them in flight or gleans them from leaves — caterpillars, leafhoppers, flies, and beetles. It adds small berries such as barberry and serviceberry in late summer and fall.
The flashing orange or yellow patches startle hidden insects into moving, making them easy to catch. It is a hunting strategy, and the constant motion is the fastest way to recognize the species.
First-year males look almost identical to females — gray and yellow rather than black and orange — but they behave like adult males, singing and defending territory. They gain full black-and-orange plumage in their second year.
Young, shrubby deciduous or mixed woodland and forest edges, often near water. Listen for its high, variable, slightly buzzy song from the mid-canopy.
Those are first-year males. A male redstart spends his first summer in gray-and-yellow female-like plumage, yet still sings, defends a territory, and often breeds; the black-and-orange plumage arrives in his second fall.
Other birds you might be looking at instead.
Pick the park — it takes less than ten seconds.
Start typing the bird's name, then pick it from the list.
Suggest a birding spot to add to the map. I'll review it before it appears.
Thanks! Your suggestion has been sent for review.
Found something wrong or out of date? Tell me what to fix — it goes straight to my inbox. (No email needed.)
Thank you — your note is on its way. I appreciate the help keeping this accurate.