What type of bird did I see? It doesn’t seem to exist!

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

At the end of last week, I saw two birds mating on the rail of my balcony. They looked very unfamiliar, so I got DD to look, too.

I looked online and couldn’t identify it there. I bought a bird identification book from Amazon as I’d been meaning to anyway, but it doesn’t seem to exist! I suppose it’s a visitor passing through, but even those should appear in British bird books if they’re regular visitors?

Anyway, it was small: tit size and shape (roundish) and was predominantly black (true black) with a solid red flash on the side of its head or collar. DD says there was a bit of white on its chest.

We’re in South West Wales, rural area, near the coast.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[Apolloanddaphne]

Swallow?

[Apolloanddaphne]

Like this?

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

No, not a long as a swallow, and a lot blacker!

[DeadDoorpost]

Red-winged black bird?

[DeadDoorpost]

Red-backed fairywren?

[DeadDoorpost]

Forgot the photo for the fairywren

[QuestionableMouse]

Could they have escaped from somewhere close by?

[Soola]

Penduline tit?

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

Ha, I did wonder about that, Dead and the starkness of the red and black is a lot like the bird I saw, but the red was, I’m pretty sure, on the side of the neck/head (not wing) and there was a little white.
Also, red winged blackbirds are American, so not sure if we’d see them here?

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

Fairywren was very very like it! But they’re Australian... again not sure if they’d turn up here!

[ScrambledSmegs]

Most very small birds don't migrate, as far as I'm aware. There are some birds that could fit your description but the ones I've found are all resident on the other side of the globe. If it is one of them then then the likelihood is they're escapees from an aviary (zoo or private).

So I've found an American Redstart, and a Red-backed Fairywren (Australian). The likelihood of either of them holidaying here by themselves is remote, to say the least.

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

No, much stronger colours than penduline tit, alas.

Thanks for all your suggestions, by the way!

[MadameGazelleIsMyHomegirl]

Bullfinch

[ScrambledSmegs]

Ha! Too slow. Some of you are so much quicker on google!

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

Can’t think of anywhere nearby where they could have escaped from... but if they did they were mating, so we could end up with a local population here!

Male and female looked the same colour too, incidentally. Presume one was female!

[wowfudge]

Black Redstart or Bullfinch. We have bullfinches in our garden.

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

Not a bullfinch.

I’d say the bird was about 80% pure black.

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

Not black redstart. “My” birds had a lot less red, and it was in a different place.

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

Black Redstart? Fits with your location

[JosephineHass]

This?

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

Ha ha x post!

[ScrambledSmegs]

Did you see what kind of beak it had? Helps in determining the main diet of the bird.

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

Long tailed tit? Or is that not black enough?
Hmmm, ponders

[BlackInk]

I would still say probably some sort of swift or swallow. The amount of black/red/white can vary, especially in young/newly fledged birds...

[Ginkypig]

This?

If so its really far from home!

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id