The goldcrest is a tiny bird. Adults typically weigh just 5g, which is the same as a 20p coin. On average, goldcrests are slightly lighter than the similarly diminutive, and closely related, firecrest. This makes the species the UK’s smallest bird.
Goldcrests are named after the crest of bright feathers in the middle of their head. This is completely yellow on females, but has an orange centre on males. The rest of the plumage is mainly green-brown.
Not to be confused with: the firecrest. It has a distinct black stripe around the eye, but this can be hard to see on a moving bird. However, firecrests are much rarer than goldcrests and are predominantly found in southern England.
Images taken by CRUSH Photography©
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