Unsecure chicken perches

[Chickendoodle]

I have seen a bird a couple of times in my garden this past week and I have no idea what it is. I have looked on the RSPB site but you have to more or less know what family of birds it comes from to identify it.

 

It is small, a little bigger than a sparrow

 

Darkish grey on the body with jet black on the throat and white on the wing tips. When it flew this morning I saw it was bright red under it's tail. Tail is short

 

It's very very pretty and I would love to know what it is

 

Any ideas?

[Chickendoodle]

Think I have found it. It appears to be a black redstart which looks pretty rare - only 500 in the UK! Will have to get the camera and take a pic as I am by no means a bird expert.

 

I daresay that would get twitchers pretty excited!!

[jackie45]

OH is keen on birds so we have lots of books. I think you are right with the identification as a Black Redstart as in winter its local to southern coasts. We have often seen it in France. One of its identification marks is the constant vibrating of its tail and it perches upright. Lucky you, I hope you get a good photo.

Jackie

[Chucky Mama]

Could it be a fieldfare? We have them visiting the garden when there is snow around but they usually come in numbers.

[Chickendoodle]

Definitely not a fieldfare as we had a lot of those in the snow last year. It is much smaller and I am pretty sure it is a Redstart which is quite exciting!We have our camera at the ready by the front window

[Chucky Mama]

ooh, would love to see a photo. I hope it comes back. Do you have any special food out that it is visiting for?

[Chickendoodle]

No special food at all - we always have bird seed and fat blocks plus mealworms - it seems to be eating bits and pieces off of the grass