Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
The Goldcrest is the smallest bird in the UK, just 9cm in length, and weighs approximately 5.5g, which is the equivalent of a twenty pence coin. If not for the fiery orange stripe along its head, the Goldcrest would be a somewhat mute-looking bird, with nothing more than a dull greyish-green plumage with which to advertise its appearance. How interesting it is to see that a single stripe along the crown of a bird can add so much character.
The difference between males and females is hardly noticeable, even negligible, yet the most distinctive difference is the crown of the male Goldcrest, which has a tendency to become more prominent during mating displays. The male will bow its head and raise its coloured crest in a bid to attract a female mate during the breeding season.
Goldcrests are resident in the UK all year round and can be observed meandering among pine forests (the best place to spot one), and occasionally in gardens over winter; take note, they favour spruce, fir and pine. Outside the UK, they are also famed mountain dwellers, seeking respite in mountain coniferous woodland as high as 3,000m (9,800ft). Look towards grandiose facets of nature, dizzying territory such as the Himalayas, and you’ll find the Goldcrest; venture further east across the Sea of Japan, and they’ll be there too.
Winter migration
Look out for them in number over autumn and winter, as their population tends to increase significantly. This inflation occurs when flocks of Goldcrests from abroad join our native stock from the eastern coasts of Scandinavia. The total recorded number of resident UK breeding pairs is 610,000 (see RSPB for further information), yet over winter this number can balloon to as much as five million birds.
Despite this huge influx of Goldcrests, there is some susceptibility over harsh winter periods; in one Finnish study, only one tenth of the entire Goldcrest population survived due to cold conditions that affected the natural supply of spiders. Similar declines can happen in the UK, although Goldcrests do have the ability to bounce back rapidly and reach normal population levels within a relatively short period of time.

Goldcrest with prominent crown display during mating season
Where are they?
Goldcrests can be hard to spot due not only to their size but also the conspicuous and indistinct way in which they climb around trees; one sure way to locate a Goldcrest is to listen to its song, especially when it is part of a group. The collective, high-pitched shrill, a type of “zi-zi-zi”, which is very quiet from a single bird, can help you find them. But understand that Goldcrests usually only enter gardens over winter, unless you’re lucky.

Reporting rate of Goldcrests: Original source, BTO
The chart to the left, which outlines an annual pattern of garden use (BTO Garden Birdwatch survey), shows a large increase in viewings over winter, the key time of year for spotting Goldcrests in the garden.
Diet
Goldcrests are avid eaters of insects, yet also pursue other juicy morsels such as spiders and moth eggs. Their beaks have evolved to be thin and pointed, a tough and able instrument with which to pick out insects from among dense pine needles. Other favoured food includes caterpillars, bugs, flies and springtails. They will not take to food such as peanuts, sunflower hearts and bird seed mixes from feeders, preferring instead to feed from the undersides of leaves in a deciduous environment, or from the upper surfaces of branches in coniferous habitats. Interestingly, all Regulus species are insectivorous and have the curious ability to catch insects while hovering.
Breeding
Goldcrests begin their breeding process in late April and produce a clutch of eggs of between nine and eleven; in fact, Goldcrests are considered to be avid nesters, beginning a second clutch before the first has fledged. This high rate of breeding is compatible with the notion of population replenishment after harsh winters. As mentioned earlier, stocks are generally brought back to good numbers even after harsh winter declines. Furthermore, breeding efforts of Goldcrests can sometimes produce up to twenty chicks in a year – a prodigious amount, and high among many of our UK bird species.
To find a Goldcrest nest, look for spruce or fir trees and a nest that is well balanced in a hammock position on the outer twigs. The nest is a neat, cup-shaped affair and made from moss, lichens, spiders’ webs and feathers. The eggs are approximately 1.4cm by 1.1cm and are smooth, non-glossy and coloured white with brown speckles.
In Culture
Although Goldcrests have not featured prominently among any particular literary genre, there was one poem written by Charles Tennyson Turner, titled The Gold-Crested Wren, which goes:
When my hand closed upon thee, worn and spent
With idly dashing on the window-pane,
Or clinging to the cornice — I, that meant
At once to free thee, could not but detain;
I dropt my pen, I left the unfinish’d lay,
To give thee back to freedom; but I took —
Oh, charm of sweet occasion! — one brief look
At thy bright eyes and innocent dismay;
Then forth I sent thee on thy homeward quest,
My lesson learnt — thy beauty got by heart:
And if, at times, my sonnet-muse would rest
Short of her topmost skill, her little best,
The memory of thy delicate gold crest
Shall plead for one last touch, — the crown of Art.
Further to this, there is confusion over the fabled legend of a contest among birds to see which could fly the highest. Both Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) and Pliny (23 – 79 AD) wrote of a legend in which a contest was performed to discover who should be their king: the award would go to the bird bold enough to ascend to the highest height. The contest ensued, and initially it was obvious the eagle would win; however, a tiny bird had hidden itself in the eagle’s tail feather and emerged just as the eagle had reached its highest point, thus winning the competition.
Interestingly, much of the subsequent European folklore related to this tale relates to the Wren, which is often known as the King of the Birds. Despite this, the title King of the Birds was also associated with the Regulus species, and therefore it would be reasonable to assume that confusion emerged as to whether this legend is about the Wren or Goldcrest.
With both the Wren and the Goldcrest occupying position one and two as smallest birds in the UK, the reference to the “smallest of birds” compounds the confusion; furthermore, the interchangeability of the Greek words for wren (basileus, “king”) and crests (basiliskos, “kinglet”) do not help in clarifying the matter: perhaps this is highlighted in the term the “Gold-Crested Wren”, as in the Charles Tennyson Turner’s poem above.
Goldcrest vs Firecrest
See the images below for a side-by-side comparison of the Goldcrest and Firecrest

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)

Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus)
Other resources
- Identifying Goldcrest and Firecrest: click to view
- BTO Goldcrest information: click to view
- RSPB Goldcrest information: click to view
- Wikipedia: click to view
I am fortunate to have goldcrests visiting the garden throughout the year but mainly between October & May. We have conifers close to the house which helps & have a fatball feeder out all year. It took many hours to get a decent photo of one as they move so quick! It’s always a pleasure to see them & have a sneaking feeling they may have or attempted to nest at some point.
We are lucky to goldcrest visit our garden occasionally but we are surrounded by forest where they are most of the time. Love hearing the sound they make it,s like tinkling bells.
Patrick Hickling April 26 2017 , Ive had them pop in through the kitchen window ,while foraging in the shrubs , AND they Do eat peanuts ,if you don’t believe me I couldn’t care less ,Ive been observing birds for over 50 years ,there in the garden from time to time throughout the year in ones& twos ,the area is wooded , I also have a good number of Dunnock ‘s ,they will visit the birdtable regular .
We had a pair nest in our garden last year.
I was lucky enough to see one of the fledglings bathing in our birdbath!
Have seen a pair again this year, so am looking forward to hopefully
seeing the fledglings again!!
Loraine
26/04/17.
We have just discovered a Goldcrest visiting our garden and feeders this morning and we are ecstatic. It is the first time I have seen one in the wild. We have two conifers of good size and thickness in the garden and are hoping we may get a nest in the spring. As it is feeding and our conifers are full of webs and spiders we are hoping this will encourage them to stay.
I have seen a gold crest several times feeding off the Christmas tree which I keep in a pot on my patio, A very lively little bird, who doesn’t scare easily. How can I help feed it, and encourage more into my garden, perhaps to nest!
We have had one goldcrest every day for several weeks feeding on peanuts, sunflower hearts and your coconut halves. He obviously lives in the conifers behind the house.
We currently have a goldcrest which jumps up and down on the stone windowsill at the front of our house , as though it is in a baby bouncer and It sometimes reaches about a foot high. In between the jumping sessions, it fusses about on and off a terracotta trough with plants, which is also on the windowsill. and then disappears elsewhere for a time before coming back an jumping again..
I found a goldcrest on my patio today looking somewhat dazed and disoriented. After sitting on a towel on my hand for a few minutes it flew back to the trees at the bottom of my garden!
Opened the curtains this morning to see a Goldcrest sitting quietly on our tiled lounge roof. It say still for a good 10 minutes whilst I went down stairs to get my phone camera. Got a lovely shot then it flew over to our pergola and say there for a further 10 minutes.
We found a tired and somewhat dazed goldcrest outside by our vehicle took him inside warmed him up made him comfy overnight and released him next morning what a lovely thing it was really pleased we saved him, and this is the second one we have saved, beautiful little bird.
A Goldcrest family breed in our orchard hedge. They seem to disappear for months at a time, but have reappeared this afternoon!
Had goldcrests nest in for tree at back of house and soon after in pine tree in our garden.it fed on our suet half coconuts all summer and we got ten minute video of it feeding and taking food back to nests.hoping to have them back this season.
Just got some pictures of one feeding off my conifer against bedroom window – south Manchester UK
Spotted a gold crest this afternoon, bouncing up and down on a rambler rose which covers one of the shed windows, and repeatedly flying at its reflection in the window. This continued for some time, so I went to look in the shed in case another was trapped inside. No trapped bird inside, so concluded it was objecting to the presence of its mirror image. (Wiltshire, March 2021)
Sadly, just found a dead gold crest in the garden. near my greenhouse. Particularly sad as we approach the breeding season. North Wales
We’ve lived in our bungalow in Rainford for the past 20 years and today for the first time we’ve seen a Goldcrest.This little bird (a female I think ) has spent the day hovering between the front wall and the adjacent holly tree .Delightful but what if anything will come next ?
Our goldcrest appeared in our Leylandii close to an upstairs window in late March 2021 – he/she was there on a daily basis for a few weeks, visiting nearby branches then going into the foliage. After a while, it seemed it was using these branches as a toilet before going back into the foliage where we could not see it. The appearances decreased from daily, to two or three visits during April and now, at the start of May, we rarely see it. Could it now be nesting in our trees and will we see it return – we hoe so as it it so beautiful and enigmatic!
Have the most amazing thing happening. For two days now a beautiful tiny goldcrest is sitting and feeding right ousted my window. Have the most amazing pictures and videos. Been here for hours yesterday and back again today. Incredible.
Went into my small room today 08/05/21 and saw a female Goldcrest flying and hovering against the window.Then it would fly around the garden do her thing on various trees and bushes could she be disoriented or maybe has a nest around my garden somewhere.
Had two beauties that flew into our window yesterday but very pleased to report that, after some gentle care, they both recovered and returned to the neighbour’s pine tree.
We have a gold crest in our garden been here 8yrs first ever very excited probably nesting in conifers in neighbouring garden we have a selection of feeders spread around seem to love fat balls.
I’ve lived here at the top of the north downs in Kent for 8 years, next to a very large conifer and pine. But this is the first year we’ve had Goldcrests visit. One in particular seems to be completely infatuated with her (I think it’s a her) reflection in our kitchen window and door. Over the past 4 weeks she has spent an increasing amount of time with us, bouncing along the window and door ledges, and on the door handle. Extremely sociable and not at all afraid.
We have a pair visiting the trellis and jasmine in our garden in Cornwall. they seem to take enormous interest in their own reflections in the patio doors. We’ve been supplementing a mother blackbird’s diet with mealworms very close by and think the Goldcrests have now discovered these quick protein ‘take always’ . Highly energetic and fascinating to watch.