RSPB Scotland's Molly Martin shares five facts about redwings.
Five facts about redwing
1. Redwings are a common winter migrant to the UK.They come down from Iceland and Scandinavia, and may go as far south as Spain and Turkey in their search for food and warmer climates.
2. They migrate in flocks, mainly overnight, dictated by food supply and weather in Scandinavia, which varies in different years. Listen out for their soft “seep seep” call as they pass overhead. The first few may start arriving in the UK from September, and will reach greater numbers around October.
3. They are related to our resident blackbirds and thrushes, and they are the smallest true thrush found in the UK.
4. They tend to flock in large numbers,often mixing with fieldfare, another thrush migrant, but their pale “eyebrow” and red patch under their wings distinguish them.
5. They normally feed on worms and berries in fields and hedgerows, but in really harsh winters with thick snow or ice they will come to gardens to feed, particularly on windfall apples.