Goldcrest
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| Regulus regulus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family, resembling the Firecrest but with a plainer face.
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[edit] Description
The Goldcrest is the smallest European bird, measuring from 8.5 to 9.5cm and weighing as little as 5g. It is dull greenish above, with buff/white underparts, two white wingbars, and a plain face with a conspicuous black eye. The crown has black sides and a narrow black front, and a bright central crest, orange in the male and yellow in the female, which is displayed during breeding. It is a restless species, constantly on the move as it searches for insects.
[edit] Taxonomy
Several subspecies of the Goldcrest have been described:[1][2][3]
- Continental Eurasia
- R. r. regulus Linnaeus, 1758, nominate subspecies: Europe
- R. r. himalayensis Bonaparte, 1856: Himalayas
- R. r. japonensis Blakiston, 1862: Eastern Asia, including Japan, Korea, China and Siberia
- R. r. tristis Pleske, 1892: China, Central Asia
- R. r. coatsi Sushkin, 1904: Russia, Central Asia
- R. r. yunnanensis Rippon, 1906: eastern Himalayas, Burma, China
- R. r. hyrcanus Zarudny, 1910: Iran
- R. r. buturlini Loudon, 1911, Caucasian Goldcrest: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
- R. r. sikkimensis Meinertzhagen & Meinertzhagen, 1926: India and China
- Macaronesia
Considerable radiation of the Goldcrest into distinct taxa has occurred in the Canary and Azores archipelagos.
- R. r. azoricus Seebohm, 1883, Sao Miguel Goldcrest: São Miguel
- R. r. teneriffae Seebohm, 1883, Tenerife Goldcrest: endemic to Tenerife and often treated as a full species
- R. r. inermis Murphy & Chapin, 1929, Western Azores Goldcrest: Flores, Faial, Terceira, São Jorge and Pico
- R. r. sanctaemariae Vaurie, 1954, Santa Maria Goldcrest: endemic to Santa Maria
- R. r. ellenthalerae Päckert, Dietzen, Martens, Wink & Kvist, 2006: Western Canary Islands Goldcrest, La Palma and El Hierro
[edit] Distribution and habitat
The Goldcrest has a wide range in Eurasia, as well as in Macaronesia. It is partly migratory and in northern Europe and Asia birds winter south of the breeding range. It prefers coniferous woodlands, although it has a wider range in winter, when it is often found with tit flocks.
[edit] Behaviour
[edit] Breeding
It builds an open nest and lays 4-12 eggs.
[edit] Relationship with humans
In Britain, Goldcrests were previously called Gold-crested Wrens, and are celebrated in a poem by Charles Tennyson Turner with that title. It is the national bird of Luxembourg.
[edit] References
- ^ Vaurie, Charles. (1954). Systematic notes on Palearctic birds. No. 8, Sylviinae, the genus Regulus. American Museum Novitates 1684.[1]
- ^ Avibase Accessed 7 January 2008
- ^ Päckert, Martin; Dietzen, Christian; Martens, Jochen; Wink, Michael & Kvist, Laura. (2006). Radiation of Atlantic goldcrests Regulus regulus spp.: evidence of a new taxon from the Canary Islands. Journal of Avian Biology 37(4): 364-380. Digital Object Identifier: 10.1111/j.2006.0908-8857.03533.x HTML abstract Electronic Appendices
- BirdLife International (2004). Regulus regulus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
[edit] External links
- Goldcrest - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Gold Crested Wren (poem)
- Goldcrest videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta
 At 3,500 m in Kullu - Manali District of Himachal Pradesh, India |
 At 3,500 m in Kullu - Manali District of Himachal Pradesh, India |
