Redpoll Birds Information & Facts

The redpoll is primarily a bird of the arctic tundra, from where it invades central and southern Europe in large numbers every autumn. Redpoll bird is a regular garden visitor where there are birch trees. It is a partial migrant.

Redpoll-Bird-Information-Facts

Bird Description and Identification

Redpoll bird is smaller than House Sparrow. Grey-brown with red crown and black chin. In breeding, plumage males also show an intense red flush on the breast.

Redpoll bird identification

Length: 12.5 cm. The male has a redder throat and rump.
Voice: The characteristic flight call is a rapid ‘chuch-uch- uch’ or ‘tiu-tiu-tiu’. Alarm note is a plaintive
Song: A sustained series of brief trills.
Size of Egg: 14.3 — 17.5 x 10.0 – 13.2 mm.

Distribution

Iceland, British Isles, north and central Europe.

Voice

Flight call a rapid nasal ‘dschedschedsche’. Song a hoarse twittering and trilling with flight calls included.

Redpoll Habitat

Male and Female bird

Pairs of redpolls, female on left, male on right.

Redpoll is found also in alpine regions at the dwarf-pine limits, especially the Swiss and Italian Alps, as well as in England and Ireland, where it is found even in lowland country, and more recently in many places in central Europe. It is becoming more and more plentiful in central Europe, where it nests in mountains and hill country. Its characteristic habitat is pure birch stands or mixed woods with birch. Open conifer woods in upland regions; in lowlands, parks and gardens.

Nesting

In May Redpoll builds a nest of slender twigs, stalks and grasses, lined with hairs and horsehair, usually located in bushes in the mountains, in dwarf-pine or short trees, generally 1.5 to 3 metres above the ground. In the arctic regions, redpoll usually does not nest until June. Frequently several pairs join to form a large nesting colony.

Redpoll-nesting-breeding

Breeding

Redpoll bird breeding and nesting

The 5 to 6 eggs are incubated for 10 to 12 days by the hen, while the male brings her food. The young, which leave the nest at the age of 10 to 14 days, are fed insects and insect larvae by both parents, who continue to feed them for a further 10 to 14 days after they have fledged. The mainstay of the adult birds’ diet is seeds, especially those of alder, birch, and conifers.

Double brooded (May to July). Small nest of twigs, moss and stems in conifers or scrub. 4-6 pale blue eggs with reddish and brownish markings, incubated by the female; incubation 11-13 days, young fledge at 11-14 days.

When the offspring are sufficiently independent, the parent birds often rear a second brood. In winter, groups of redpolls often visit parks and gardens which have birch or other trees and seed-bearing bushes.

Redpoll Bird’s Food

Seeds of deciduous trees and weeds, insects.

Miscellany

In winter Redpolls are often seen in flocks on birches and alders.

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https://www.birdsinfo.org/water-pipit-anthus-spinoletta/