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24

Arctic Redpoll (Carduelis [Acanthis] hornemanni) Alternate name(s): "Hoary Redpoll" German name(s): "Polar-Birkenzeisig" Size: 12-14 cm Weight: 12-16 g

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Arctic Redpolls are small finches. Their plumage is highly cryptic and dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. The bill of a male Arctic Redpolls is surrounded by a small dark ring, above which they have a red forehead, and below which their chest is pale-pink. They have prominent white supercilia above narrow black eye-stripes. The rest of the head, together with the ear coverts, the nape of the neck and the back, is heavily streaked grey. Also the belly is grey; the flanks are also grey, but with fine darker streaking. Part of the upperwing coverts are brown, streaked with dark-grey, whereas the rest of the wings and the tail are plain dark-grey, with very thin white edge-lining. The rump has the same pale-pink colour as the chest. The wings have a prominent white wing bar. Females look similar to males, but lack the pale-pink chest. Instead, they have greyish streaked flanks. Their supercilia are less prominent than those of males. The irises of both sexes are dark-brown. The bill is yellowish, while legs and feet are dark-grey. First-winter Arctic Redpolls resemble females.

Taxonomy, classification See Arctic Redpoll at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Arctic Redpoll is available HERE . There are 2 races of Arctic Redpolls, which are a partly migratory, partly sedentary species. Their overall distribution is circumpolar around the North Pole. Their breeding range is largely restricted to within the Polar circle. In winter part of the population migrates southward to ca. 50 degrees latitude in Europe and farther South yet on the North American continent. Nominate race "hornemanni" resides only on Greenland and neighbouring parts of north-eastern Canada. Race "exilipes" was the most widespread distribution. It is found in northern Eurasia and the remainder of the North-American tundra. In Europe only Arctic Redpolls of race "exilipes" are found. They are sedentary only along the northern coastal fringe of Scandinavia and north-western European Russia. Their wintering range comprises basically all of the rest of Scandinavia, except the Finnish lake districts. A smaller part of the migratory population can reach an area of roughly semi-circular shape centred on the southern Baltic Sea, ranging from Moscow, Russia, in the East, via the Baltic states and Poland, with the exception of northern Germany, towards the Benelux countries, the eastern parts of England and Scotland and the Hebrides. During the breeding season Arctic Redpolls have a preference for beech forest and willows, but they also breed in tundra and upland heath. The range and habits of migratory Arctic Redpoll, including preferences for certain types of habitats, outside the breeding season are not well known.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "exilipes" M. Eaton reports spotting an Arctic Redpoll, race "exilipes", at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. All sighting and photographic information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by M. Eaton.

Photos

Race "exilipes"

This race is also called "Coues's Arctic Redpoll".

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Arctic Redpoll - the normally pale-pink front is worn and only a small patch of pink remains on the cheek; note that the structured appearance of the bird's plumage is caused by shaking after preening and is not striation
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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