European Robin vs Black Redstart
Erithacus rubecula compared with Phoenicurus ochruros
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | European Robin | Black Redstart |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Erithacus rubecula | Phoenicurus ochruros |
| Order | Passeriformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Muscicapidae | Muscicapidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 14.0 cm (5.5 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) | 16.6 cm (6.5 in) |
| Weight | 18.0 g (0.63 oz) | 16.0 g (0.56 oz) |
| Diet | Insects, worms, and berries. Often follows gardeners and large animals to catch invertebrates disturbed from … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 4-7 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
European Robin
Woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and gardens across Europe. Remarkably tame around humans, especially in Britain.
Song & Call Comparison
European Robin
Exquisite, melancholic melody of thin whistled phrases, rising and falling softly. Rich, warbling song year-round; both sexes sing. Alarm call is a sharp 'tic-tic-tic'.
Black Redstart
Geographic Range & Migration
European Robin
Europe, western Asia, and parts of North Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter; western European populations are largely resident.
Black Redstart
Conservation Status
European Robin
Black Redstart
How to Tell Them Apart
European Robin
Olive-brown upperparts with a warm orange-red breast and face bordered by grey. White belly and undertail coverts.
Thin, pointed dark brown bill
Black Redstart
About These Birds
European Robin
The European robin is one of the most beloved birds in Britain, where it is the unofficial national bird. Despite its friendly demeanor toward humans, robins are fiercely territorial against their own kind, singing year-round to defend territory. Their distinctive song is one of the first to be heard at dawn.
Black Redstart
The Black Redstart is a compact, robin-sized bird; males are sooty-black with a distinctive rust-red tail that is constantly shivered, while females are gray-brown with the same rusty tail. It breeds across Europe and Central Asia from the British Isles east to the Himalayas, inhabiting rocky hillsides, cliffs, urban buildings, and railway yards, wintering in southern Europe and Africa. It feeds on insects, berries, and small invertebrates.