Thanks for bringing attention to this lapidary birdlet to a wider audience. It is perhaps the showiest of the world's kinglets; the patch of orange in the males' crown is often flecked with red and the bronze shoulder patches fairly gleam when exposed to the sun. North America's Golden-crowned Kinglet and Taiwan's Flamecrest (which has the best species moniker in birdom--goodfellowi) come close to matching the Firecrest's colorful sizzle--but to me the latter is fairest of all.
The other factoid worth knowing is the way these birds can survive the coldest winter temperatures, despite averaging only 9 cm in length and weighing about 5-6 grams.
We have a pair of firecrests in our garden down here in the south west. They have a routine which involves popping out for a spot of lunch about 1.30pm and then maybe nipping round the corner for cocktails about 7.30 pm. Once glimpsed never forgotten, but as you say never still. A keen birdwatching friend came over to try and spot them a couple of years ago and sure enough the male came out at lunchtime right on cue, then proceeded to sit for a good minute on the top of a rose bush so my friend could photograph him from the sitting room window. My friend was in ecstasy, the bird has never done it again.
Ecstasy indeed. They were almost mythical when I was growing up, in Kent. As a teenager I found one above the compost heap in our garden one day, and kept telling everyone about it for weeks. Mainly received with blank looks. 🤓
I was delighted to see a firecrest in our garden (south Hampshire near Winchester) last year. I thought at first it was a gold crest until I looked it up and discovered the distinction of the black stripe. I’ve always loved watching for the birds and love to listen and try to identify them (not very successful I might add) so I’m glad to have found you in this little corner of substack 😊
How wonderful. 😀 Near Winchester you are at the centre of the Firecrest eruption. I hope you have success with identifying more birdsong - do let me know if there are any birds you would particularly like to hear about.
Thanks for bringing attention to this lapidary birdlet to a wider audience. It is perhaps the showiest of the world's kinglets; the patch of orange in the males' crown is often flecked with red and the bronze shoulder patches fairly gleam when exposed to the sun. North America's Golden-crowned Kinglet and Taiwan's Flamecrest (which has the best species moniker in birdom--goodfellowi) come close to matching the Firecrest's colorful sizzle--but to me the latter is fairest of all.
The other factoid worth knowing is the way these birds can survive the coldest winter temperatures, despite averaging only 9 cm in length and weighing about 5-6 grams.
We have a pair of firecrests in our garden down here in the south west. They have a routine which involves popping out for a spot of lunch about 1.30pm and then maybe nipping round the corner for cocktails about 7.30 pm. Once glimpsed never forgotten, but as you say never still. A keen birdwatching friend came over to try and spot them a couple of years ago and sure enough the male came out at lunchtime right on cue, then proceeded to sit for a good minute on the top of a rose bush so my friend could photograph him from the sitting room window. My friend was in ecstasy, the bird has never done it again.
Ecstasy indeed. They were almost mythical when I was growing up, in Kent. As a teenager I found one above the compost heap in our garden one day, and kept telling everyone about it for weeks. Mainly received with blank looks. 🤓
I was delighted to see a firecrest in our garden (south Hampshire near Winchester) last year. I thought at first it was a gold crest until I looked it up and discovered the distinction of the black stripe. I’ve always loved watching for the birds and love to listen and try to identify them (not very successful I might add) so I’m glad to have found you in this little corner of substack 😊
How wonderful. 😀 Near Winchester you are at the centre of the Firecrest eruption. I hope you have success with identifying more birdsong - do let me know if there are any birds you would particularly like to hear about.
The Tasmanian forty spotted padelote is a tiny very rare and colourful bird worth a look at.
Relative to the Firecrest, the endangered Spotted Padelote is fairly drab. It is almost as tiny as the former. But it has a hopeful conservation story: https://tasmaniangeographic.com/whats-killing-pardalote/.
Brilliant, thanks Jon - I'm learning a lot!
Thanks Richard, that's new to me - I'll take a look. :-)