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Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Goldcrest

Female Goldcrest

Goldcrest

Regulus regulus

Gaelic: Crionag Ghiuthais

Photography © Julie Sievewright
Suaineost - Ness - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
October 14th, 2008

"Goldcrest in Ness today. The poor wee thing found itself stuck in Swainbost shop. After a couple of hours chasing it around the shop it was finally caught and taken down to my office to ID and check over. It was fine so I let it go in a group of bushes behind the office....I've attached a picture of it but it might be a bit fuzzy.

Also saw a sea eagle with red wing tags at North Dell at lunch time - reported to RSPB.
From the smallest to the largest bird in a couple of hours - not a bad day!".

 

Our Goldcrest photographs

Goldcrest female	Goldcrest female	Goldcrest male

 

• Goldcrest
• Regulus regulus
• Gaelic: Crionag Ghiuthais
• UK: AMBER LIST. Summer 842,000 territories. WInter 3-5 million birds RSPB
• UK: Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
• WI: Uncommon Migrant Breeder (10-99 breeding pairs), and uncommon passage visitor (low numbers)
• Breeding: Lays 4-12 eggs in an open nest . Prefers coniferous woodland (spruces or firs). Resident in most of temperate Europe & Asia.
• WIntering: Mostly resident but northernmost birds winter south of the breeding range. Large numbers of migrating Goldcrests arrive in the UK in autumn, prefering bushes & shrubs in coastal areas. Often found with tit flocks in winter
• Habitat: Forest, woodland
• Diet: Feeds mostly in high in the canopy. Always moving seeking insects (typically caterpillars), spiders
• Tiny! Our smallest bird (8.5 - 9.5cm). Rounded appearance. Pale greenish above. Buff-white below. Two white wingbars. Plain face with a large black eye. Crown bordered by black sides. Central crest which is displayed during breeding is an orange stripe in the male & yellow in female. Juvenile has plainer, pale crown. Approachable
• Listen to a Goldcrest (RSPB site)
• Typical lifespan 2yrs. Max recorded lifespan 4yrs 10mths
• Similar birds: Firecrest, (rare - has prominent white 'eyebrow' (supercilium), Wren

 

Goldcrest records in the Western Isles

Uncommon Migrant Breeder (10-99 breeding pairs), and uncommon passage visitor (low numbers)

On the chart below the darker the shade of blue the more abundant the Goldcrest is during a month or the more likely you are to see it.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)

 

 

 

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