Goldcrest / Wintergoldhähnchen (Regulus regulus)

Wintergoldhähnchen im Hönggerwald. 2024-04-14 08:24:44

Observations

First documented observation: 2020-07-13 in Niederurnen. Most recent observation: 2025-10-31 in Switzerland.

Description

Classification: Genus Regulus (Regulus); Family Old world warblers (Sylviidae)
General: I'd often heard the high-pitched song and call in the woods by Fehraltorf but had doubts I'd ever see one (they're the smallest bird in Switzerland, fairly shy, and I seemed to only hear them in very tall trees). I didn't see one until hiking at the Pragelpass. And finally in October 2020, I saw them near Rumlikon and at the Pfaeffikersee, where I took the new profile picture. In December I saw five of them cruise through the bushes beside our house, hopping from branch to branch, snapping up insects - something I'd never have believe in spring 2020.
General: Said to be the smallest bird in Switzerland, but it's basically the same size as the Firecrest.
General: Deutschland: Brut-, Jahres-, Zugvogel, Wintergast

Seasonal behavior

Year-round bird
Breeding: 04-01 - 08-18
Migration in: 03-01 - 05-01
Migration out: 08-18 - 11-06
More details at Vogelwarte.ch

Other Details

Physical details

Physical details: length=9 cm, wingspan=13-15 cm, weight=4-7 g
Habitats: Forest

Vocalisation

Song: Vogelwarte.ch says high-pitched song that gently rises and falls. This song starts out with a repeated note. [Link]
Song: Kurze Reihe von sehr hohen, leisen Tönen in auf-absteigender Tonhöhe, an das „W“-im Namen erinnernd. [Link]
Song: a very high-pitched, undulating series of arpeggiated notes moving down and up again, repeated 4-5 times ending with a marked "conclusion" (like "trying to start a tiny motor and failing"). Timbre of song similar to contact call. [Link] Song attributes: Mnemnoic: W=Winter=v.a. runter, dann wieder hoch, plus melodischer Schluss Melody: stereotype melodic, slow, Frequency: 6-8 KHz
Calls: 'sisisi' [Link]
Contact call a very high pitched "zit zit zit", only similar to Firecrest and treecreepers. Treecreepers usually calls with longer "zzzziiiiit" repeated at regular intervals, while Goldcrest calls in phrases with two to four calls in series in an uneven rhythm. Firecrest contact calls lower pitched than Goldcrest, and in a softer tone (but quite similar). [Link] No details but a Xeno-Canto recording. - but really OWN
Wintergoldhähnchen whoop Ruf im Biotop.

Wintergoldhähnchen whoop Ruf im Biotop. Greater Fehraltorf 2024-09-12 16:40:00 ♫ 2024-09-12 16:40:00 Greater Fehraltorf (call)

Call attributes: song Frequency: ,