Goldcrest
Regulus regulus

>> GENERAL >>>>>

– tiny passerine, smallest bird in the WP
– nocturnal migrant, short distance diurnal movements (‘Schleichzug’)
– migrates singly or in small, very loose flocks

>> VISUAL ID >>>>>

BIF229_MPU_I1Q9267_121024_gcrest_d_nordsee_offshore
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus
BIF0229, 24/10/2012, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Mathias Putze
– tiny, olive-green with fairly short, notched tail

BIF268_MPU_I1Q5019_141105_gcrest_d_nordsee_offshore
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, presumably F
BIF0268, 05/10/2014, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Mathias Putze
– yellow crown with black lateral crown-stripes at times recognisable even in flight

BIF269_MPU_I1Q5185_141105_gcrest_d_nordsee_offshore
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus
BIF0269, 05/10/2014, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Mathias Putze
– whitish wing bar

BIF270_MPU_I1Q4908_141105_gcrest_d_nordsee_offshore
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus
BIF0270, 05/10/2014, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Mathias Putze

BIF271_MPU_I1Q4953_141105_gcrest_d_nordsee_offshore
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus
BIF0271, 05/10/2014, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Mathias Putze
– rather short and rounded wings


Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, AD M
BIF3642, 04/04/2019, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Patrick Franke
– M by orange crown feathers lurking through the yellow top feathers


Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, AD M
BIF3644, 04/04/2019, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Patrick Franke


Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus
BIF3643, 04/04/2019, North Sea, offshore, Germany, Patrick Franke
– at distance very stout and compact silhouette

>> ACOUSTIC ID >>>>>

– Goldcrests utter a lot of different calls during bird migration
– the multi-syllable ‘SeSeSeSe’ often is regarded as flight call
– but the normal flight call is the monosyllabic underslur ‘TSIP’.
– timbre not unlike Meadow Pipit, only softer and quieter
– the call is not very variable, but in large flocks variants are often heard (plastic calls by 1CY birds?)
– surprisingly different from the Firecrest by the shape and timbre


– overview –

– detail –
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, flight & social calls during migration
BIF3641, 17/10/2020, Mertensdorf, Germany, Patrick Franke


– overview –

– detail –
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, flight & social calls in flight
BIF3640, 26/01/2021, Kehrberg, Germany, Patrick Franke


– detail –
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, flight call
BIF3639, 10/02/2018, Mannhausen, Germany, Patrick Franke


– overview –

– detail –
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, calls during migration
BIF3638, 10/10/2017, Kühlungsborn, Germany, Patrick Franke


– overview –

– detail –
Goldcrest Regulus r. regulus, flight & social calls during migration
BIF0230, 11/10/2008, Greifswalder Oie, Germany, Patrick Franke

>> COMPARISON SPECIES >>>>>

Firecrest (a) (v)
Eurasian Blue Tit (a)
Great Tit (a)
European Crested Tit (a)
Coal Tit (a)
Eurasian Treecreeper (a)
Short-toad Treecreeper (a)
Eurasian Wren (v)

#songbird #passerine

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