Goldcrest

Regulus regulus (Linnaeus, 1758)

2017-10-16 Chunkurchak, Chuy Valley	© Ivan Turkovskiy

Biology

Common resident. Inhabits spruce and fir forests at 1700-2600 m in Zailiyskiy Alatau and 1450-1600 m in Altai. During dispersal and wintering occurs in floodplain and riparian forests, other deciduous and mixed forests, groves, shelterbelts, bush thickets and tall weeds thickets. Breeds in separate pairs, quite far from each other. Nest is located in spruce twig at height 2.5-15 m above the ground; nest is built from moss, lichen, cobweb, hair, plant fluff and grass bast and is lined with plenty of feathers. Both partners build nest for 17-20 days. Clutch of 7-9 eggs is laid in mid-May to early July. Only female incubates for 16-18 days, male brings food to female. Both parents feed juveniles which fledge at age 18-20 days old, in end of June – mid-July. One brood per season, repeated breeding after loss of first clutch is common. Autumn-winter dispersal in loose flocks up to one-two dozen birds or singly begins mainly in September – October. The return spring movement is not so marked, latest wandering birds recorded in February, March or even in early May.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.