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Acanthis flammea

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Redpoll

GNRUnranked Found in 40 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
GNRUnrankedGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1341892
Element CodeABPBY06170
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyFringillidae
GenusAcanthis
Synonyms
Carduelis flammea(Linnaeus, 1758)
Concept Reference
American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly known as Common Redpoll, when treated as a species separate from Acanthis cabaret (Müller, 1876) [Lesser Redpoll] and A. hornemanni (Holböll, 1843) [Hoary Redpoll] (AOU 1983, 1998; Banks et al. 2002), although known in Old World literature as Redpoll. Acanthis cabaret and A. hornemanni are treated as conspecific with A. flammea based on genomic homogeneity, continuous phenotypic variation, overlapping suitable habitat, and a lack of evidence supporting prolonged isolation among these three taxa (Mason and Taylor 2015, Funk et al. 2021). Geographic variation in phenotype is linked to a large chromosomal inversion that does not prevent reproduction, but instead maintains variation through a combination of environmental and sexual selection pressures (Funk et al. 2021). Also see Salomonsen (1951), Harris et al. (1965), Troy (1985), and Seutin et al. (1992, 1995) (AOS 2024). Formerly placed in the genus Carduelis (AOU 1983, 1998).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Czaplak (1995) for information on distinguishing common and hoary redpolls in winter.

Habitat

Forest, scrub and shrubby areas, and open tundra with bushes or dwarf trees; paler individuals prefer, on average, more open areas; in migration and winter in open woodland, weedy fields, fencerows, and cultivated lands (AOS 2024).

Ecology

May travel in large flocks in winter.

Weakly territorial (Knox and Lowther 2000); individuals move up to 20 kilometers while foraging during breeding season (Molau 1985).

Reproduction

Nests are initiated usually in June in the Beaufort Sea area. Clutch size is 4-5, sometimes up to 7. Incubation, by female, lasts 10-11 days (Terres 1980). Young are tended by both adults, leave nest in 11-16 days. Females have the capacity to double-clutch. Pairs may nest near each other.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralAlpineTundraCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS4Yes
SaskatchewanSNRBYes
AlbertaS5N,SNRMYes
ManitobaS3B,S5NYes
NunavutS5B,S3NYes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
OregonSNAYes
IowaSNAYes
West VirginiaSNAYes
PennsylvaniaSNAYes
UtahS3NYes
OhioSNRNYes
VermontS4NYes
MissouriSNAYes
IdahoS3NYes
MaineS4NYes
Rhode IslandSNAYes
WyomingS5NYes
New YorkSNRNYes
KansasSNAYes
KentuckySNAYes
MinnesotaSNRNYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
New JerseySUMYes
North CarolinaSNAYes
WisconsinSNAYes
ColoradoSNAYes
MontanaS5NYes
North DakotaSNRNYes
ArkansasSNAYes
New HampshireSNAYes
IllinoisSNAYes
Roadless Areas (40)
Alaska (19)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Brabazon AdditionTongass National Forest498,819
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Mansfield PeninsulaTongass National Forest54,991
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
Pioneer MountainsSalmon-Challis National Forest172,460
Pioneer MountainsSawtooth National Forest119,563
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Minnesota (3)
AreaForestAcres
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
Montana (4)
AreaForestAcres
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
East PioneerBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest145,082
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Silver KingBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest64,289
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Walla Walla RiverUmatilla National Forest34,416
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Wyoming (3)
AreaForestAcres
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
References (15)
  1. American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  4. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, F.K. Barker, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2009. Fiftieth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 126(3):705-714.
  5. Czaplak, D. 1995. Identifying common and hoary redpolls in winter. Birding 27(6):446-457.
  6. DeBenedictis, P.A. 1987. Gleanings from the technical literature. Birding 19(1):47-49.
  7. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  8. Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
  9. Knox, A.G. 1988. Taxonomy of redpolls. Ardea 26:1-29.
  10. Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 409 pp. + 45 plates.
  11. Seutin, G., L. M. Ratcliffe, and P. T. Boag. 1995. Mitochondrial DNA homogeneity in the phenotypically diverse redpoll finch complex (Aves: Carduelinae: <i>Carduelis flammea-hornemanni</i>). Evolution 49:962-973.
  12. Seutin, G., P. T. Boag, and L. M. Ratcliffe. 1992. Plumage variability in redpolls from Churchill, Manitoba. Auk 109:771-785.
  13. Seutin, G., P. T. Boag, and L. M. Ratcliffe. 1993. Morphometric variability in redpolls from Churchill, Manitoba. Auk 110:832-843.
  14. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  15. Troy, D. M. 1985. A phenetic analysis of the redpolls <i>Carduelis flammea</i> and <i>C. hornemanni exilipes</i>. Auk 102:82-96.