Redwing
Redwing
Bird
The redwing is a dainty winter thrush that visits Britain from the far north each autumn. Named for the rusty-red patch beneath its wings, it roams fields and hedges searching for berries and worms.
💡 Fun Facts
- The redwing is Britain's smallest thrush, with a creamy stripe above its eye and a splash of rusty-red under each wing.
- Like the fieldfare, it is a winter visitor, flying in from Iceland and Scandinavia — often migrating at night.
- On clear autumn nights you can sometimes hear their thin "tseep" calls high overhead as whole flocks pass unseen in the dark.
📅 Through the Year
- In the UK:October to March
Name Story
Turdus iliacus
means “the thrush of the flanks”
What does its name mean?
- Turdus — thrushLatin turdus ‘thrush’
- iliacus — of the flanks (sides)Latin ilia ‘flanks, sides’
Look along its sides and you’ll find a splash of rusty-red — the very flanks its name points to. The same warm colour flashes under its wing as it flies.