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Goldcrest

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  • 17-10-2010 8:44pm
    #1
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭


    I had a Goldcrest visit the garden yesturday evening and today, beautiful little bird I hope he/she is a regular sight in my garden. Could this bird just be a winter visitor or do they stick around all year?


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    #2
    jmkennedyie
    Registered Users Posts: 678 ✭✭✭jmkennedyie


    They are in Ireland all year around. Associated with coniferous trees. Like all tiny birds they have to eat a tremendous amount of food in proportion to their body weight to stay alive so are always on the move. They are the smallest bird in Europe. Smaller than wren, same size as firecrest (occassionally seen in Ireland).


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    #3
    doctor evil
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,114 ✭✭✭doctor evil


    Are they a regular garden bird?


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    #4
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Not really unless you live next to a forestry plantation as they do prefer conifers for foraging in.


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    #5
    Feargal as Luimneach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭Feargal as Luimneach


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Not really unless you live next to a forestry plantation as they do prefer conifers for foraging in.
    I occasionally get the odd goldcrest in my garden. There quite fond of having a dip in the pond:D


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    #6
    Kess73
    Registered Users Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    Am in Limerick and I get regular goldcrest every winter. I do have conifers very close to the house, so no real shock to have them as regulars.


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    #7
    Connacht
    Registered Users Posts: 447 ✭✭Connacht


    I spotted one in my ash and hawthorn hedge last year. No conifers particularly close by. It was a female -isn't her head yellow/gold, rather than the male's orange ?


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    #8
    jmkennedyie
    Registered Users Posts: 678 ✭✭✭jmkennedyie


    If I remember correctly male crest can also look yellow/gold. If a bit disshelved you can see the orange. Saw this up close when a ringer was processing one.


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    #9
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Not really unless you live next to a forestry plantation as they do prefer conifers for foraging in.

    So the books say but I have them regularly and unless you could a few pine trees in the garden there are neither conifers nor froestry for many miles. I know of some other gardens with regular Goldcrest visitors and not a conifer in sight. Isn't Nature wonder!


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    #10
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    How orange does the male Goldcrest's crest get? I came across a pair today, one normal yellow looking, but the other was very orange.

    I had been thinking Firecrest, until I got home and saw their distribution. :(

    7S5D9435.jpg


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    #11
    V_Moth
    Registered Users Posts: 1,423 ✭✭✭V_Moth


    whyulittle wrote: »
    How orange does the male Goldcrest's crest get? I came across a pair today, one normal yellow looking, but the other was very orange.

    I had been thinking Firecrest, until I got home and saw their distribution. :(

    The bird in the pic is a Goldcrest. The crown colour can be quite variable. With Firecrest, I find it is usually the white stripe above the eye which gets my attention, whereas Goldcrest always has a relatively plain "face". The calls are also slightly, but noticeably different.

    Only about 100 pairs of Firecrest breed in southern Britain (expanding I think), but it is relatively common in the right habitat in Continental Europe. In Ireland, it is a scarce passage migrant mainly from September to December. There are a few spring records, but I haven't heard of any birds breeding in Ireland.


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