About Phoenicurus moussieri (Olphe-Galliard, 1852)
Moussier's redstart, with the scientific name Phoenicurus moussieri, is a small passerine bird that belongs to the redstart genus Phoenicurus. It was formerly classified as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is currently placed in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. This species is an endemic resident breeder found only in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa. It inhabits open woodland in rocky areas, ranging from sea level up to 3000 meters in altitude in the mountains. It is the smallest species of redstart, measuring only 12 centimeters long and weighing between 14 and 15 grams. The male Moussier's redstart has a black head marked with a broad white stripe that runs above each eye and down the side of the neck. Most of its upperparts are black, except for a white wing patch and a rich chestnut tail; the word "start" is an old term for tail, which gives redstarts their shared common name. The male's underparts are a rich orange-red. The female has pale brown head and upperparts, and its underparts are paler orange than the male's. The female's underparts are generally redder than those of the similar, larger female common redstart. The species is named for Jean Moussier (1795–1850), an amateur naturalist who worked as a surgeon in the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars.
