---
title: "Goldcrest"
description: "Regulus regulus — Birds. The goldcrest (Regulus regulus) is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/goldcrest
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Goldcrest

> Regulus regulus — Birds. The goldcrest (Regulus regulus) is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family.

- Scientific name: *Regulus regulus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 34079
- Wikidata: [Q26657](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26657)
- iNaturalist taxon: [793469](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/793469)

## Names

- en: Goldcrest
- de: Wintergoldhähnchen
- es: Reyezuelo sencillo
- fr: Roitelet huppé
- nl: Goudhaan
- pt: Estrelinha-de-poupa
- pl: Mysikrólik zwyczajny

## Countries with the most observations

RU (8003), GB (4592), DE (2697), FR (1856), IT (1820), AT (852), DK (727), UA (593), FI (542), NL (515), ES (501), PL (479)

## Summary

The goldcrest (Regulus regulus) is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers, as well as being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore, gives rise to its English and scientific names. The scientific name, R. regulus, means 'petty king' or prince. Several subspecies are recognised across the very large distribution range that includes much of the Palearctic and the islands of Macaronesia and Iceland. Birds from the north and east of its breeding range migrate to winter further south.
This kinglet has greenish upper-parts, whitish under-parts, and has two white…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldcrest

## Photo

![Goldcrest](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/goldcrest/medium.jpg)

Photo: NENP_StBartsNewbury · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/325164113

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/goldcrest?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).