Goldcrest / Wintergoldhähnchen (Regulus regulus)

Wikipedia eBird Vogelwarte BirdLife ZH ornitho.ch bird-song.ch Xeno-Canto BirdID NABU

Classification: Genus Regulus; Family Old world warblers (Sylviidae)
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.
Said to be the smallest bird in Switzerland, but it's basically the same size as the Firecrest.
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]
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]
Physical details: length=9 cm, wingspan=13-15 cm, weight=4-7 g
Habitats: Forest

Song:

Vogelwarte.ch says high-pitched song that gently rises and falls. This song starts out with a repeated note. [Link]
Song attributes: Mnemnoic: W=Winter=v.a. runter, dann wieder hoch, plus melodischer Schluss Melody: stereotype melodic, slow, Frequency: 6-8 KHz
Call: Automatically generated from Xeno-Canto recording. - but really OWN

(1) Wintergoldhähnchen whoop Ruf im Biotop. Greater Fehraltorf 2024-09-12 16:40:00
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Call attributes: song Frequency: ,
First documented observation: 2020-07-13 in Niederurnen. Most recent observation: 2025-02-03 in Greater Fehraltorf.

Media

Wintergoldhähnchen im Hönggerwald. 2024-04-14 08:24:44 NIKON D3100 ISO 3200 Exposure 0.004	Wintergoldhähnchen, bever - mit insekt, etwas gelb am kopf sichtbar -. 2021-07-28 17:32:06 Engadin NIKON D5600 ISO 1600 Exposure 0.002	Wintergoldhähnchen, bever - mit insekt -. 2021-07-28 17:32:04 Engadin NIKON D5600 ISO 1600 Exposure 1/500
Wintergoldhähnchen, bever. 2021-07-28 17:26:20 Engadin NIKON D5600 ISO 2800 Exposure 1/500	Wintergoldhähnchen, Kempten-Wetzikon. 2021-03-10 12:10:52 Wetzikon NIKON D5600 ISO 400 Exposure 1/2000

Video

Goldcrest feeding near the Pragelpass

Wintergoldhähnchen XC475114-Regulus regulus - Goldcrest song.
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Oberreitenbachholzweg, Rumlikon 2020-10-22 15:48:07 ♫ 2020-10-22 15:48:07 Oberreitenbachholzweg, Rumlikon (song?)

Pfaeffikon 2020-10-30 15:36:56 ♫ 2020-10-30 15:36:56 Pfaeffikon (song?)

Fehraltorf 2020-11-02 14:38:27 ♫ 2020-11-02 14:38:27 Fehraltorf (song?)

Oberreitenbachholzweg, Rumlikon 2020-10-22 15:30:27 ♫ 2020-10-22 15:30:27 Oberreitenbachholzweg, Rumlikon (song?)

Adelboden 2021-02-20 12:46:15 Singers: Coal tit, Goldcrest
♫ 2021-02-20 12:46:15 Adelboden (song?)

2021-08-14 09:22:44 ♫ 2021-08-14 09:22:44 (song?)

Vögel im Wald beim Staldenweiher - ab 8 Sekunde Rotkehlchen, zuerst Buchfink, im Hintergrund Amsel, um 44 Sekunden ein Wintergoldhähnchen. Staldenweiher 2024-06-13 14:50:20 Singers: European robin, Common chaffinch, Common blackbird, Goldcrest

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Pragelpass 2020-07-31 12:05:15 ♫ 2020-07-31 12:05:15 Pragelpass (song?)

Wintergoldhähnchen, Kleiber Rufe. Wald Fehraltorf 2024-09-08 08:09:00 Callers: Goldcrest, European nuthatch

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XC762379 - Goldcrest - Regulus regulus - song recorded in Sweden.
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Wintergoldhähnchen, Tannenmeise uva im Wald Fehraltorf. Wald Fehraltorf 2024-05-13 07:49:00 Singers: Goldcrest, Coal tit

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Hat nichts gesagt, aber ich denke Buntspecht und Wintergoldhähnchen. Wildert Weiher 2024-12-18 13:38:00 Singers: Great spotted woodpecker, Goldcrest

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Birdweather-Goldcrest. Greater Fehraltorf 2024-11-01 06:42:53
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Fehraltorf 2020-10-30 13:41:29 Singers: Goldcrest, European robin
♫ 2020-10-30 13:41:29 Fehraltorf (song?)

Great tit lhh song plus long-tailed tit, goldcrest, etc. Greater Fehraltorf 2025-02-03 15:23:00 Melody: lhh Singers: Great tit, Long-tailed tit, Goldcrest

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Fehraltorf 2021-08-14 09:54:33 Singers: Spotted flycatcher, Goldcrest
♫ 2021-08-14 09:54:33 Fehraltorf (song?)

Near Prägelpass probably Goldcrest. Pragelpass 2020-07-31 12:07:10
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(1) Wintergoldhähnchen 1-note whoop Ruf bei etwa 8khz im Biotop. Greater Fehraltorf 2024-09-12 16:40:00
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Goldcrest, long-tailed tits beim Wildertweiher. Wildert 2025-02-03 15:21:00 Singers: Goldcrest, Long-tailed tit

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Niederurnen 2020-07-13 11:26:51 ♫ 2020-07-13 11:26:51 Niederurnen (song?)

Adelboden 2021-02-20 12:45:34 ♫ 2021-02-20 12:45:34 Adelboden (song?)

Adelboden 2021-02-21 12:51:19 Singers: Goldcrest, Alpine chough
♫ 2021-02-21 12:51:19 Adelboden (song?)

Additional Images

Wintergoldhähnchen fliegt auf den nächsten Ast, Kempten-Wetzikon. 2021-03-10 12:10:50 Wetzikon NIKON D5600 ISO 400 Exposure 1/2000	Wintergoldhähnchen fliegt auf den nächsten Ast, Kempten-Wetzikon. 2021-03-10 12:10:50 Wetzikon NIKON D5600 ISO 400 Exposure 1/2000	Goldcrest pfäffikersee. 2020-10-30 16:44:10 Pfäffikersee NIKON D3100 ISO 2800 Exposure 1/500
Goldcrest pfäffikersee. 2020-10-30 16:44:10 Pfäffikersee NIKON D3100 ISO 2800 Exposure 1/500	Goldcrest at Pragelpass. 2020-07-31 12:14:14 Pragelpass SM-G975F Shutter speed 1/352 ISO 50 Exposure 1/352

Web pages with this species:

Last FOK2 outing: Amden Hinder Hoechi. / Spring in Switzerland, 2024 / Summer in Switzerland, 2024 / Birding excursion in Appenzell/St. Gallen with Tom Bischof, April 2024 / Levanto, May 26-June 2 2024 / 'A bike through the woods' - and the fields / FOK3 in La Sauge / Fall and winter at home / Winter at home