Kinglets · Perching birds
Common Firecrest
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Regulus ignicapilla
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Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Thomas Jansson
Song
Max Karlsson
How to recognize it
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Very small, round-bodied kinglet
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Olive-green above, pale below
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Broad white supercilium with a black eye stripe
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Bronze shoulder patch and two white wingbars; thin high call, slightly lower than Goldcrest, usually 3–4 notes
About the species
Common Firecrest is a very small, restless little canopy-dweller. What stands out most is the lively head pattern, with the raised crest adding a bright accent that changes between the sexes.
It is constantly on the move, hopping, hovering, and probing foliage for food. Its contact call is a thin, high series of notes, and the song is a quick run of similar sounds, ending in a brief trill.
It lives in broadleaf, mixed, and conifer woodland, but also does well in parks and large gardens with suitable trees. It feeds mainly on small insects, spiders, and other soft-bodied prey, and in colder months it often joins mixed flocks while moving south and west in parts of its range.
Where to find
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In mature city parks with old broadleaf trees — especially at the canopy tops of oaks and lindens, where a thin repeating call carries overhead.
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Along canal edges and pond margins with ivy or rose thickets — watch for quick drops into the lower branches and brief hovering while it picks tiny insects from the leaves.
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In mixed stands with spruces, firs and deciduous trees — easiest to spot while it races along fine twigs, barely pausing between hops.
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In winter, check shrub edges near large gardens or quiet park fringes — especially when tit flocks are moving through, since Common Firecrest often tags along.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Regulus ignicapilla Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common firecrest Encyclopedia article