Mega rare bird sighting in UK — looks like a ‘painted’ robin

A “super rare” bird related to the robin has been spotted in Kent this month, with previous reports of sightings in January. One bird enthusiast described the exciting moment as “a welcome mega to arrive on our shores” after hearing it had been spotted in the local area. 

The bird, a red-flanked bluetail, was seen on Sunday, February 1, at Crockham Hill Common in Kent – and recorded by the Bird Guides website. Another bird lovers website, eBird, has confirmed several further sightings between January 28 – February 1 of males and females. The red-flanked bluetail is the size of a robin and as the name suggests, it’s a colourful little creature, though the female is mainly brown, she also has a blue tail.

The male is a vibrant-looking bird with bright colours on the upper parts of the body – and he has an orange-tinged chest.

Female red-flanked bluetails are olive-brown, but still have a colourful chest and usually a blue-coloured tail, this bird species is also known as the orange-flanked bush robin.

Reports so far seem to suggest that it’s a female red-flanked bluetail that’s been spotted in Kent – and theories as to why it is there consider “storm misplacement” as a possible factor.

Planet of Birds described the species online: “Close in size and structure to European Robin, though slightly shorter billed and longer tailed.

“Small, fairly compact chat, with general character recalling both European Robin and Redstart. Female dull olive-brown above, with pale eye-ring and darker, blue-washed rump and tail, dull white below, with brown chest and orange flank-panel.”

The Rare Bird Alert website reports that seeing a red-flanked bluetail was once a “near-mythical rarity”, but, detailing “148 records over the last ten years” sightings could be becoming more common, according to Rare Bird Alert.

YouTuber, Stormcat Birds described the sighting as “proper exciting bird news” describing seeing a red-flanked bluetail as a “mega mega rarity for southern England”.

Stormcat Birds, speaking via their YouTube channel, said the male red-flanked bluetail looks like a “robin that’s been to the paint shop”, adding that these birds “breed across Siberia and east of Japan”.

To get one of these “this far west in January”, Stormcat Birds added, could be to do with “storm displacement” – you can watch a video about the species (and see the colourful male) on the Stormcat Birds YouTube channel.

British Trust for Ornithology described the red-flanked bluetail on their website: “Once regarded as an extreme vagrant, records of this relative of the robin have increased dramatically, likely following a marked population increase in the forests of eastern Finland, where it was first recorded breeding in the 1940s.

“This migratory species breeds from Finland east to Kamchatka and winters across parts of China.”