Unlike its close cousin, the Black Redstart, the Caucasian Redstart can be recognized, in addition to its red tail, by the white visor on the male’s head. Its song is also highly distinctive, and is one of the first to be heard in the early morning. Females, on the other hand, are more difficult to differentiate between the two species.
White-fronted Redstart group
Feeding only on insects, this trans-Saharan migrant returns to our region in mid-April to nest. In Europe, the urban environment is one of its main habitats. The towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle are two of the few agglomerations to host a significant population of the White-fronted Redstart, one of the 50 breeding bird species prioritized for targeted conservation measures in Switzerland.
Since 2003, a group of ornithologists have been studying this charismatic bird, and have shown that its distribution in the city coincides with that of sparsely urbanized neighborhoods.
Species and biodiversity conservation project in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle and Les Brenets
There are a number of practical steps you can take to welcome this bird to your garden. By planting trees destined to become “major”, by maintaining your lawn and/or meadow properly, by creating nesting cavities, but also by building the structures this bird needs, you’re helping to protect not only this species, but many others too.
With this project, the White-fronted Redstart Group aims to consolidate and extend a network of green spaces in the towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle – Les Brenets, thereby enhancing the quality of life of both White-fronted Redstarts and local residents.
Objectives in brief
– Create favorable areas, linking and expanding White-fronted Redstart conservation districts, to create a network of urban green spaces beneficial to biodiversity and its citizens.
– Inform and educate the public about biodiversity in the city through the White-fronted Redstart and its seven ecological requirements, making it the emblematic species of biodiversity in green neighborhoods.
– Provide the departments of the City of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle – Les Brenets with a plan of the priority conservation areas of the green spaces network, as well as recommendations for their conservation in the coming years.
Discover the results of our pilot phase 2016 – 2018
Download the flyer “The secret guest of the Neuchâtel mountains”.
News
– Canal Alpha, September 2016, Winner of the 2016 Beugger Award. See also the Canal Alpha report
– RTS – CQFD, June 2016, White-fronted Redstart, a rural exodus
– RTS – Prise de Terre, June 2016, The White-fronted Redstart, an emblem of biodiversity
– Under the wing of the white-fronted redstart” exhibition. See reports, May 2017:
Alpha channel
BNJ.TV
Photos on Arcinfo
– RTS – Couleur d’été, July 2017, Spotlight on the White-fronted Redstart
– Terre&Nature bird special, April 2018, the White-fronted Redstart in the spotlight
– Canal Alpha, April 2018, Tree planting for the White-fronted Redstart
– RTS, May 2018, Mr Gardener
– Le Temps, May 2018, Les zones villas, nouvelles frontières du combat pour la biodiversité (Villas, new frontiers in the fight for biodiversity)
– La Salamandre, August 2018, A whole city for a bird
– Arcinfo, April 2019, Early morning rendezvous with the White-fronted Redstart in La Chaux-de-Fonds
– Podcast of the Swiss Ornithological Institute, May 2023, The redstart – Jacques Laesser
– Canal Alpha, November 2023, Trees for the White-fronted Redstart
– RTN, November 2023, Preparing for the return of the redstart
A place for a future major tree
Contact: Valéry Uldry on 078 725 88 47
or by e-mail to groupefrontblanc@gmail.com
Partners supporting the project
– ASPO/BirdLife
– Canton of Neuchâtel – SFFN, nature section
– CERAS
– CENAMONE
– Ernst Göhner
– Casino de Neuchâtel Foundation
– Ellis Elliot Foundation
– Emanuel and Oscar Beugger Foundation
– Ernest Dubois Foundation
– Gelbert Foundation
– Nature & Découvertes Foundation
– Sandoz Family Philanthropic Foundation
– Joachim de Giacomi fonds (SCNAT)
– Groupe des Jeunes de Nos Oiseaux
– Lions Club La Chaux-de-Fonds
– Loterie Suisse Romande – Neuchâtel
– Musée d’horlogerie du Locle – Château des Monts
– Our birds
– Federal Office for the Environment
– Bird conservation program in Switzerland
– Pro Natura Neuchâtel
– Rotary Club des montagnes neuchâteloises
– Fauna Flora and Nature Department (SFFN)
– Société des Amis du musée
– Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung
– Swiss Ornithological Institute
– Steffen Gysel – Stiftung für Natur und Vogelschutz
– Stiftung Dreiklang für ökologische Forschung und Bildung
– City of La Chaux-de-Fonds
– City of Le Locle
– WWF Neuchâtel
You too can contribute!
CCP 20-117-8 (IBAN CH63 0900 0000 2000 0117 8) Nos Oiseaux
mention: “White-fronted Redstart Project”.
Find out more in our dossier
or, of course, by landscaping your garden naturally
Don’t hesitate to ask us for advice!
References
– V. ULDRY, A. POUCHON, R. POUCHON, B. DROZ, LAESSER, J. (2021): Réseau espaces verts project, assessment after 5 years. Under the wing of the White-fronted Redstart. Nos Oiseaux 68(N°544):147-152. Link to the pdf document
– DROZ, B., ARNOUX, R., BOHNENSTENGEL , T., LAESSER , J., SPAAR, R., AYÉ, R., RANDIN, C. F., 2019, Moderately urbanized areas as a conservation opportunity for an endangered songbird, Landscape and Urban Planning 181: 1-9.
– LAESSER J., DROZ B., BOVAY F. ULDRY V. (2016): The white-fronted redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Monitoring, environmental studies and conservation recommendations. Nos Oiseaux 63(No 524):137-152. Link to the pdf document
– DROZ, B., R. ARNOUX, E. REY, T. BOHNENSTENGEL & J. LAESSER (2015): Characterizing the habitat requirements of the Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus in moderately urbanized areas. Ornis Fennica 92: 112-122. Link to pdf document
– BOVAY, F. (2014): The White-fronted Redstart as an indicator species for urban nature conservation measures in the commune of La Chaux-de-Fonds. ECOFOC, Neuchâtel. Link to pdf document
– PERRENOUD, B. (2008): Study of the White-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus population in La Chaux-de-Fonds between 2003 and 2007. Maturité project, Lycée Blaise-Cendrars, La Chaux-de-Fonds. Link to pdf document
Local bulletin of CENAMONE / COMONE
– ULDRY V., POUCHON A., LAESSER J., DROZ B. (2022): 2021 White-fronted Redstart census in Neuchâtel mountain towns. Info-COMONE 136: 6-7.
– ULDRY V. (2020): Census white front 2020. Info-CENAMONE 131: 3-4.
– ULDRY V. (2018): Some feedback from the use of White-fronted Redstart nest boxes. Info-COMONE 125: 19-22.
– ULDRY V. (2017): Under the wing of the White-fronted Redstart. Info-COMONE 121: 24-27.
– SISTER Y. (2017): Account of an exceptional year for a pair of White-fronted Redstarts. Info-COMONE 123: 31-33
– ULDRY V., LAESSER J., DROZ B., POUCHON A., POUCHON R. (2017): Presentation of the Nature groups of the Montagnes Neuchâteloises. The White-fronted Redstart group. Info-COMONE 123: 3-5.
– ULDRY V., LAESSER J., DROZ B., MARTIN V. (2016): Projet d’un Réseau espaces verts en ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds…under the wing of the White-fronted Redstart. Info-COMONE 116: 16-19.
– ULDRY V., LAESSER J., DROZ B., MARTIN V. (2016): Réseau espaces verts en ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds…under the wing of the White-fronted Redstart. Info-COMONE 117: 15-16.
– LAESSER J. (2016): Presentation of the Elisabeth and Oscar Beugger Prize. Jacques Laesser’s speech at the ceremony on September 14, 2016. Info-COMONE 118: 17-20.
– LAESSER J., DROZ B., ULDRY V., BOVAY F. (2015): Thirteenth year of the White-fronted Redstart census in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Info-COMONE 115: 28-29.
– LAESSER, J. & B. DROZ (2010): Distribution of White-fronted Redstarts in the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Info-COMONE 96: 24-25. Link to the pdf document
– DROZ, B. & J. LAESSER (2009): The white-fronted redstart, P. phoenicurus in 2009. Info-COMONE 95: 26-34. Link to the pdf document
