A red-chested and/or red-bellied bird wants to draw attention from its peers. It is inevitable that we will also spot him faster. In this country, these species have red feathers.
Table of Contents
4 Stand bird
Resident birds do not flee from the cold of winter. These brave fliers can therefore be spotted all year round.
Eisvogel – Alcedo atthis
- Other names: kingfisher
- build: stocky; short legs, short neck and pointed beak
- Size: 16-18cm
- Appearance: blue plumage, orange belly; Underside of beak orange in female
- Habitat: On clear, moderately fast-flowing or still waters with fish stocks
- Diet: Fish, small crustaceans, tadpoles and aquatic insects
Gimpel – Pyrrhula pyrrhula
- Other names: bullfinch, rare coleus, and goldfinch
- build: stocky; short neck and thin feet; short beak
- Size: 15-19cm
- Appearance: Blue-grey back, black head, red belly in males
- Habitat: mainly in coniferous forests (spruce), also in sparse mixed forests
- Diet: Buds and seeds of wild herbs
Kleiber – Sitta europaea
- Other names: woodpecker
- build: stocky; big head; short neck and short tail; long and pointed beak
- Size: 12-14.5cm
- Appearance: blue-grey plumage; red or white belly (depending on the subspecies), black eye stripes
- Habitat: Deciduous and mixed forests
- Diet: mainly insects, also seeds, berries and nuts, small prey
Rotkehlchen – Erithacus rubecula
- Other names: Red-bellied Red- breasted Red-breasted
- build: plump; long, skinny legs
- Size: 20-22cm
- Appearance: Tail, back and back of head brown, belly light; red chest area
- Habitat: in forests; in bushes, hedges and undergrowth; in gardens, parks and cemeteries
- Diet: Insects, spiders, snails and worms
Tip: The robin is Germany’s most popular songbird and is also a frequent guest in the home garden. It is worth taking a look at this pretty bird, which chirps tirelessly from morning to night.
5 migratory birds
The stay of migratory birds in Germany is limited in time and often to certain areas.
Gartenrotschwanz – Phoenicurus phoenicurus
- Other names: wood redstart
- build: slim; short beak
- Size: 13-14.5cm
- Appearance: Male is gray with black throat and white forehead, and orange-red breast and red tail; Female is grey-brown with lighter underparts
- Distribution with us: April to September; winters in Africa
- Habitat: deciduous and mixed forests; settlement areas
- Diet: mainly insects, spiders and weavers; occasionally berries and fruits
- Other: songbird with a wide variety of sounds
Karmingimpel – Carpodacus erythrinus
- build: slim; short beak
- Size: 13.5-15cm
- Appearance: olive brown top; whitish belly; Male: red head and chest area
- Distribution with us: mainly on the Baltic Sea coast in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; from late May to August, winters in India and China
- Habitat: semi-open landscapes; light forests
- Diet: Seeds, buds, sprouts and insects during rearing
Tip: The crimson bullfinch is diurnal and can be easily recognized by its bright red head. The male usually performs his pleasant song from a higher vantage point, although females can also sing.
Ortolan – Emberiza hortulana
- build: slim; straight cut tail; short, pointed beak
- Size: 15-16.5cm
- Appearance: head, neck and chest olive green; reddish abdominal region
- Distribution with us: from April to September, overwinters in savannas and semi-deserts in Africa
- Habitat: Dry, open landscapes with scattered trees and bushes
- Diet: Insects, larvae, spiders and snails; also plant seeds
- Other: considered vulnerable
Rothalsgans – Branta ruficollis
- build: stocky; short beak; thick neck
- Size: 54-60cm
- Appearance: black limbs with white contour lines; rusty breast
- Distribution here: spring to autumn, winters on the Black Sea
- Habitat: swamps and estuaries; lakes and ponds; rests on farmland and meadows
- Diet: grass, samphire, grain and corn; Young birds also eat insects
Tip: The red-breasted goose is a sea goose that only occurs sporadically in western Europe, mostly in the company of brent geese. Due to the striking coloring, you will easily spot the bird in the crowd.
Steinrötel – Monticola saxatilis
- Other names: mountain lark
- build: slim; short, pointed beak
- Size: 19cm
- Appearance: Males have blue-grey head, white-spotted back, black wings, and rust-red underparts; Females are inconspicuous brown, but have a rust-red tail
- Distribution with us: higher alpine locations; winters in Africa
- Habitat: Rocky areas with flat vegetation and scattered rocks and bushes
- Diet: insects, worms, spiders, lizards; also berries and fruits
6 part migrants/migratory birds
These bird species are called partial migrants because only part of their population migrates south before winter, while the rest stays inland, mostly in milder regions.
Bluthänfling – Linaria cannabina
- Other names: flax finch
- build: slim; short neck; thin feet
- Size: 12-14cm
- Appearance: only the male has red chest; otherwise grey, beige and chestnut brown dominate
- Habitat: Landscapes with hedges and bushes
- Diet: fruits, seeds and grains; insects during the breeding season
- Other: endangered in Germany
Buchfink – Unmarried
- Other Names: Edelfink
- build: stocky; short beak
- Size: 14-18cm
- Appearance: chestnut back and black forehead; white wing bar and stray feathers; Males have reddish-brown breasts
- Habitat: Landscapes with trees
- Diet: berries, seeds, insects and spiders
Tip: Overwintering chaffinches will be happy if you scatter a few sunflower seeds on the ground for them to pick up.
Fichtenkreuzschnabel – Loxia curvirostra
- Other names: Scots pine parrot
- build: stocky; strong, round head; thick, curved beak;
- Size: 15-17cm
- Appearance: Males are predominantly reddish, females are olive green
- Habitat: Spruce and fir forests
- Diet: mainly seeds of spruce, fir, larch and birch
Rostgans – Tadorna ferruginea
- Physique: like a cultivated goose, but slightly smaller
- Size: 60cm; 1.2-1.4kg
- Appearance: rust-red plumage; lighter head; white forewings (only clearly visible in flight); black beak and black tail tip
- Habitat: swamps, rivers, inland lakes, large ponds
- Diet: grasses and seeds; also insects, fish and frogs
Schwarzkehlchen – Saxicola rubicola
- Body type: small and slim
- Size: approx. 12 cm
- Appearance: Male has black head, white collar and red belly; the colors are duller in the female
- Habitat: open spaces with bushes and grasses; more common in the south of the country
- Diet: Insects, worms and spiders
- Other: regionally endangered
Zippammer – Emberiza cia
- Build: compact; short, strong beak,
- Size: 15-16cm
- Appearance: Back patterned in cinnamon brown and black; red abdominal area; black eye stripes
- Habitat: open and sunny mountain slopes; stony and rocky areas
- Diet: Grains and insects
- Other: threatened with extinction in Germany
