The Goldcrest

The Goldcrest

This is Ireland's smallest bird, and it gets its name from the distinctive golden marking on top of its head. In Irish it is known as "cíorbhuí" which means yellow comb. Many birds have crests or combs -- see a cock with red crest on your cereal box!

It nests in shrubs and eats flies and seeds. There are lots of flies on leaves of shrubs. All living creatures like to be near a good source of food. Many have to migrate in search of a good food supply.

Goldcrest outside window

This goldcrest was very difficult to capture on camera. It flitted from twig to twig, climbed up the centre-post of the window holding on with its claws, before darting back to the shrub once more. This photo was taken as it opened its wings for flight yet again.

Goldcrest on Irish postage stamp

The beautiful goldcrest on the left appears on an Irish postage stamp. Note the dark colours as seen by a predator from overhead -- they blend in with the green-yellow dark background. Note also the white underside -- this blends in with the sky to confuse cats and other predators looking up from below.

In nature, when a creature dies naturally from old age or disease, it goes "belly up" and the body markings often signal scavengers to come to feast and remove the remains. This is true of fish also. A salmon has a silvery underside and a dark back. When it dies after spawning, it too goes "belly-up". A gannet flying above will easily spot the silver markings against the dark water, and a seal below will spot the dark speck against the skyline.

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