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  Profile

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  In flight

Songbirds

Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

• rare
• 55 km/h
• Least Concern

The Goldcrest's flashier cousin, with a white eyebrow and a brighter crown. Delivers in higher resolution.

Population

Roughly 10-15 million individuals, mostly across Europe

Habitat

Broadleaf and mixed forest (favoring cork oak and alder where available, otherwise beech and holly) and coniferous woodland; also parks and gardens, from lowlands up to about 2,800 m elevation

Fun fact

The Firecrest is tied with its close relative the Goldcrest as the smallest bird in Europe, at around 9 cm long, yet the male reveals a hidden orange (versus the female's yellow) crest stripe bordered in black during courtship and territorial displays; the oldest ringed individual on record lived just over 4 years.

Range

Breeds from southern England, France and Iberia east through central Europe to Belarus, northwestern Ukraine and Greece (recently colonizing Finland); northern/eastern populations winter in the Mediterranean basin and milder parts of western Europe

Diet

Almost exclusively insectivorous, gleaning small soft-bodied arthropods such as springtails, aphids and spiders from foliage and bark

Size

0.09 m

Wingspan

0.145 m

Lifespan

4 years