The black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is an attractive, robin-sized bird of the thrush family with a distinctive orange/brown tail. A relatively recent colonist from Europe, black redstarts are regarded by many as the ‘bomb site’ or ‘power station’ bird. In continental Europe the bird is common and associated with rocky mountainous terrain and cliffs. In the UK, although some birds do breed on cliffs along the south coast, the black redstart’s distribution is concentrated in the urban environment. Power stations, gasworks, industrial units and dilapidated wharves are their preferred habitat. For this reason the species’ conservation requirements are unique for a British bird.

In London, the black redstart is concentrated on both industrial sites and post-industrial brownfield land along the River Thames East of the River Wandle and along the River Lee. Isolated pairs are still found in central London, which was the bird’s stronghold after the second-world war and they breed on at least one mainline station in central London. The boroughs of Havering, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, City of London, Islington, Camden, Wandsworth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley regularly host breeding birds. A combination of stony bare ground, sparsely vegetated areas and a complexity of structures, whether they are cranes, old jetties, piles of scrap metal cars or disused building complexes, appear to be its preferred habitat.

The black redstart population in the UK is concentrated in London, the West Midlands and the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk, but there are clusters in a number of other conurbations such as Nottingham, Liverpool and Manchester. The population is presently thought to fluctuate between 80 and 120 pairs. The last estimate by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel in 1996 put the total at 28-65 pairs. The vast majority of these are in England.

The species is most probably under-recorded. On average there are between 8 and 12 pairs breeding in Greater London each year with a further 6-10 singing males present. One pair breeding in a London Borough would therefore amount to approximately 3% of the national population.

The large black redstart population present in the City until the mid-1960s was displaced by the gradual redevelopment of the area. Regeneration along the Thames, especially in Tower Hamlets, Lambeth and Southwark during the late 1970s and 1980s, led to a further decrease in the population in the centre of London. At the time there was little consideration of the conservation requirements of black redstarts and the general view was that their conservation was not possible within the culture of regeneration. As an opportunist species, it was thought that the bird would find suitable habitat elsewhere. Pressure from loss of habitat is likely to increase since a high target has been set for the development of brownfield sites in London.

In the UK the black redstart is afforded full protection as a Schedule 1 breeding species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 (as amended). It is also listed as a Red Data Book species and is on Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, 1979.

The Environment Agency and English Nature now advise developers that they require black redstart surveys on all likely sites along the Thames and the River Lea and that, if present, mitigation for the species should be included in any planning proposals.

In 1999 the London Wildlife Trust published ‘Black Redstart – an advice note for their conservation in London’, which drew attention to the species, the legislation, and its conservation requirements. This was distributed to planners, developers and consultants.

The Creekside Environment Programme published ‘Black Redstarts in Deptford’ for local site owners and managers in 1997, highlighting the unique contribution that the industries along Deptford Creek played in the survival of the species.

Specific provision for black redstarts has been incorporated into a number of new developments via landscape and built architecture. These include ‘landmark’ buildings at The Laban Dance Centre and the Greenwich Cruise Liner Terminal in Deptford.

Site Action Plans for the species have been prepared by the British Trust for Ornithology in Deptford Creek, SE London, where development has threatened their survival.

A specific group of people are actively championing the species in London and promoting links with other groups throughout the bird’s range in the UK. A partnership has been formed between the Lower Lea Project, the London Wildlife Trust and the BTCV to seek funding to identify areas where black redstart habitat improvements could be implemented in the Isle of Dogs through suitable landscaping.