5 things you might not know about the goldcrest

3 min read
Goldcrest, Britain's smallest garden bird

The goldcrest is the smallest bird in Britain, and one of the toughest. It is easy to overlook, but once you know what it does to survive, you will want to spot one. Here are five things about it.

1. It weighs about as much as a 20p coin

A goldcrest is 8.5 to 9.5 centimetres long and weighs just 4.5 to 7 grams, which makes it the smallest bird in Europe. Its eggs weigh about 0.8 grams each, and only about 5% of that is shell.

2. Most live for under a year

More than 80% of adult goldcrests die every year, which gives them a life expectancy of around eight months, among the shortest of any bird. The oldest recorded goldcrest reached four years and ten months.

3. They huddle to survive the night

On an eighteen-hour winter night at temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees, a goldcrest can burn fat equal to 20% of its body weight. Two birds roosting together cut heat loss by a quarter, and three by a third. In one Finnish study only a tenth of the wintering population survived to spring.

4. They cross the North Sea on their own

The story that goldcrests hitch a ride on the backs of owls or woodcock is a legend with nothing to support it. They can fly 250 to 800 kilometres in a day, and exhausted migrants sometimes land on ships, and even on people, searching their clothes for food. About 15,000 landed on the Isle of May in October 1982.

5. They lay up to eleven eggs

A clutch is typically nine to eleven eggs, kept at 36.5 degrees by the female for 16 to 19 days. Second clutches are common, which is how a bird with such a short life keeps its numbers up. After one mild winter in 1970 to 1971, the population in lowland Britain rose by 48%.

A little goldcrest folklore

The goldcrest's scientific name, Regulus, comes from the Latin for little king, and is often translated as petty king. Aristotle and Pliny both told the story of a contest to see which bird could fly highest. The eagle won, until a tiny bird hiding in its tail feathers flew a little higher. The story was probably passed on to the wren later, but it may have begun with the goldcrest and its fiery crown.

What goldcrests like to eat, and where

Goldcrests feed on tiny insects and spiders, which they pick from conifer needles, but wintering birds visit feeders for fat. They will take the suet pellets in our seasonal bird food, so offer it in a Little Lantern seed feeder close to a conifer or an evergreen hedge, where they feel safe. A conifer is also the best thing you can plant for them. If you are not sure which feeder suits your garden, our feeding quiz will point you in the right direction.

Want to keep track of the goldcrests in your garden? Amidst the Birdsong: A Garden Birdwatcher's Journal is made for exactly that.

Want to read about more garden birds? See all the birds in this series.

While you're here

Because there's always something worth knowing about the birds in your garden.
Clare Cahill

Thank you for reading!

Clare Cahill is a bird enthusiast with a passion for observing and learning. While she definitely doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the calm and connection that comes from letting a little wildness into our everyday lives.

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