Bird of the year is the not so common redstart
The Swiss Association for the Protection of Birds has named the common redstart (phoenicurus phoenicurus) as the bird of 2009.
The migratory bird, which once appeared in large numbers in Switzerland, has now become rare because of conditions in the country and in Africa, where it spends the winter.
In a statement on Monday, the association said that “this magnificent bird” was now on a list of endangered species in Switzerland.
It added that the bird was being threatened by climate change and the intensification of farming.
The bird leaves Switzerland in August and September to make a 6,000 km journey southwest to Africa before returning in April.
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