Howdy, friends.  This week’s bird came to me from …somewhere.  Between music festival weekend and the resulting crush at work because I had the temerity to take some leave, my brain still isn’t quite up to speed.  Anyway, let’s do some learning.  Our subject this week is the painted redstart, among the largest warblers and unique because unlike most birds, the females can sing as well as the males.  In all of our time learning about birds, I don’t think I’ve come across that before, and it appears to be a rare trait.  On the plus side, painted redstarts use their equal singing abilities to sing together as part of their mating ritual.  Having originally met Mrs Killsock at singing camp, that’s an especially fun fact.  

While being cute with each other, these birds live in North and Central America.  Mostly in Mexico, with some spillover into Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador in the south, and Arizona, Texas and New Mexico to the north.  They are residents throughout their range and do not migrate.

When foraging in its native habitat of pine and oak forests, the redstart moves quickly along the forest floor, flashing its wings and tail.    The sudden appearance of the bird’s bright white tail and wing feathers startles and flushes out insects which the redstart can then eat. It will sometimes rock side to side to increase the disruptive effect. Painted redstarts will also catch insects on the wing, particularly on or just above the surface of the water, and have been observed stealing (living, one must assume) insects from the nests of spiders.  Imagine going to all the trouble to build a web with your very living essence, only for a creature like a hundred times your size to just yoink it and keep flying without missing a beat.  A truly opportunistic feeder, the painted redstart will also feed at hummingbird feeders and consume sap oozing from trees.   

During the breeding season, the male will establish a territory several days before the females arrive in the neighborhood.  Once the birds pair off, the female will chose a sheltered spot for the nest, usually under a boulder or among dense roots. She alone will build it.  The couple will work together to feed the chicks, which fledge after two weeks.  Once they are able to fly, they will hang out with their parents for about another month before going off to do their own thing.  

Although our new friend is currently rated as “of least concern” by the ICUN, it faces climate pressure and may be in trouble in the future due to threats like drought and habitat erosion. Have a good weekend, everyone. Be good to yourselves and others.

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