Goldcrest
Regulus regulus
Goldcrest
The goldcrest is a contender for the title of smallest British bird. Its main competitor is the much rarer firecrest and then perhaps the wren. The wren is generally considered heavier and the firecrest is a more southern species being infrequent in Scotland.
Goldcrests are most frequently to be seen in conifers and often they are heard and not seen. They are not found in exclusively broadleaf woods. They nest in conifers and sometimes in yew trees. Their song is a very high pitched series of ‘sawing’ notes with a final trill. Older people may not be able to hear it because the high frequency is beyond their hearing.
In Rannoch resident goldcrests are quite common. They usually have two broods and lay 10-12 eggs, which the female alone incubates. They feed on small invertebrates such as aphids, springtails, spiders and spider eggs. Sometimes the goldcrest will hover in front of a spiders’s web to pick off the trapped insects. Occasionally they will eat pollen.
Rannoch birds may be joined in the winter by migrants from Scandinavia which have to fly over the North Sea. Early ornithologists did not believe that such a small bird could cross the North Sea unaided and they thought they must hitch a ride with larger birds. They named the goldcrest ‘woodcock pilot’.
If you take a walk to MacGregor’s Cave in summer you have a good chance of hearing goldcrests singing (if your hearing is up to it).
Creative Commons - credit missy Osborn