Birdwatchers
have gathered to try to catch a glimpse of the rare visitor
By
18:07, 8
JAN 2019
UPDATED21:38,
8 JAN 2019
A rare
bird with a wintering population of about 400 has been spotted by sharp-eyed
watchers on the Denbighshire coast.
There are
only between 19 and 44 pairs of black redstarts to be found breeding in the UK
and approximately 400 wintering birds between October and March.
The bird,
which was spotted near Rhyl harbour
on Tuesday, was formerly considered a member of the thrush family but has since
been classified as an Old World flycatcher.
Keen
ornithologists made the trip to see the unusual find, which likes to winter in
coastal regions.
Amanda
Fiddler said she made the trip with Warrington's New Cut Heritage Trail Bird
Club, after seeing news of the bird on social media.
She said:
"I've only ever seen one before, and I saw on Facebook it was here. It's
out on the twitchers' network now."
Around
half a dozen birdwatchers managed to get down to Rhyl's harbourside to see the
bird, including Terry Egan, also from the Warrington club.
He said:
"It's nice to see one, and especially when you see it within a few minutes
of arriving."
The black
redstart is a robin-sized bird with black, grey, red, orange and white plumage
and, despite its limited numbers, can be found in various parts of the UK all
year round.
According
to the RSPB, it is on the red list of birds of conservation concern, and is
also a Schedule 1 species according to the Wildlife and Countryside Act. This
means "it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb at, on or
near an 'active' nest".
They
typically forage for insects, spiders, worms, berries and seeds and tend to
look for mainly urban areas like Greater London, Birmingham, Nottingham,
Liverpool, Manchester and Ipswich when breeding.
Some
pairs have been spotted at cliff sites, power stations and coastal areas
between Suffolk and Dorset.
In
winter, you will find them in coastal areas of Ireland, Wales, England and the
east of Scotland.
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