Setophaga ruticilla
Silhouette: Dylan GE Gomes · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is a New World warbler. It is only distantly related to the Old World (common) redstart, with both belonging to the order Passeriformes. The American redstart was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Motacilla ruticilla.
The genus name Setophaga is from Ancient Greek σής : sēs (genitive σητός : sētós) "moth", and φάγος : phágos "eater". The specific ruticilla is Neo-Latin for "redstart" from Latin rutilus, "red", and the diminutive -cilla.
In Ancient Greek the name was φοινίκουρος : phoiníkouros (from φοῖνιξ : phoĩnix- "red" and οὐρά : ourá "tail") "Redstart" refers to the male's red tail, "start" being an old word for tail. The American redstart is a smallish warbler. It measures 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in) in total length and has a wingspan of 16 to 23 cm (6.3 to 9.1 in). Its length is boosted by a relatively long tail and it is one of the lightest birds in its family. Weight is considerably less in winter than in summer. Males weigh an average of 8.6 g (0.30 oz) in summer but drop to 7.2 g (0.25 oz) in winter, while females drop even... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 2 | Santo Domingo | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 3 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 8 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an American Redstart sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 194th most-seen of the 270 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Redstart in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Big Bend National Park's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 10 mm in April.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Redstart sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
73rd of 89
Of the 89 parks where we can rate American Redstart sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 73rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (Jamaica, about 80%), Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park (Mexico, about 60%) and Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Setophaga
The closest relatives of the American Redstart that you can see in Big Bend National Park (genus Setophaga, Setophaga Warblers) are Yellow-rumped Warbler (about 50%), Audubon's Warbler (about 20%) and Townsend's Warbler (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Redstart is recorded against all the birds logged in Big Bend National Park (49 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
