Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) [XC387345]
by Marco Dragonetti from Groenekan, De Bilt, Utrecht, Netherlands (song)
Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) [XC863466]
by Martin Billard from Ripe di Civitella, TE, Italy (call)
Nest
A deep cup, composed of moss, lichen and cobwebs, slung beneath a twig near the end of a branch.
Eggs (Guide)
Usually 7 - 11, sometimes 12; pinkish buff with very fine red dots.
Subspecies
Regulus ignicapillus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) and Madeira Firecrest (Regulus madeirensis) in line with AERC TAC (2003). Gender agreement of Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) follows David and Gosselin (2002a).
Subspecies teneriffae of Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) has sometimes been included within present species. Geographical variation only slight; northern African birds described as subspecies laeneni, but considered indistinguishable from and thus synonymized with balearicus.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
ignicapilla (Temminck, 1820) - Western and central Europe and Asia Minor.
balearicus von Jordans, 1923 - Balearic Is and northern Africa.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet