Key data

• Size: 14 - 15 cm

• Weight: 11 -20 g

• Diet: Insects, berries, and seeds

• Season: Migratory bird

• Observation tip:  Japan

Photography tips:

• Lens: 400 mm or greater

• Difficulty level: middle

The Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) is a small pas serine bird found in temperate Asia, known as "Jōbitaki" in Japan. The species was first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1776. The Daurian redstart is approximately 14 to 15 cm long and weighs between 11 and 20 g. Like all redstarts, there is a strong sexual dimorphism. Males have a gray crown and neck with a light forehead and light sides on the crown, a black face and chin, dark wings, and an orange belly and tail. The breast, lower back, and rump are orange, and the tail is black with orange sides. Juvenile males are similarly patterned but significantly paler and less distinctly marked. Females are warm brown on top and lighter below, have an orange rump and tail sides, and a large white wing patch similar to males. The bill, eyes, legs, and feet are black in both sexes. The Daurian redstart belongs to the genus Phoenicurus within the family of flycatchers (Muscicapidae). The species is classified as "least concern" by the IUCN.

The Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) inhabits areas in Manchuria, southeastern Russia, northeastern Mongolia, central China, and Korea. It is a migratory species that winters in Korea, Japan, the southeastern coast of China, and Taiwan.

The Daurian redstart's (Phoenicurus auroreus) diet consists of insects, berries, and seeds. During the breeding season, insects make up the majority of its diet. The bird's slender bill is optimally adapted to the behavior of foraging for food both on the surface and in the air.