Turdus iliacus
Two subspecies of redwing are found in France in winter: iliacus, which breeds in northern and eastern Europe and throughout Russia, and coburni, which breeds in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
Redwings are omnivores, foraging for food most of the time in the soil and litter of semi-wooded areas or meadows. In winter they often feed on berries and associate in flocks with other species, particularly turdidae.
Redwings of the subspecies iliacus, which come from Iceland and may pass through the UK before reaching France or even North Africa, are likely to cross French maritime areas in very large groups.
To find out more, redwing will be captured using vertical nets at their nesting site in Iceland. They will be fitted with a 0.5g GLS, which will record data (approximate geographical positions and precise atmospheric pressure for altitude estimates). In order to collect the data, the GLSs must be recovered the following year by recapturing the birds on their return from wintering.
Migratory passing through France; Wintering in France