Madeira Firecrest
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 Regulus madeirensis
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| Regulus madeirensis (Harcourt, 1851) |
The Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis is a very small passerine bird, between 8 and 8.5 centimetres long. It is endemic on the island of Madeira.
The Madeira Firecrest is a member of the kinglet family, very closely allied to the Firecrest and until recently considered to be a subspecies of it. It differs in having a shorter supercilium, duller orange crest and a longer bill, and different song and call notes.
The Madeira Firecrest forages for insects in tree heath woodland and laurisilva forests, and also in gardens. It builds its nest from cobwebs, moss and small twigs, suspending it from a branch and shaping it in the form of a ball.
[edit] References and external links
- Sangster, G., et al. (2005). Taxonomic recommendations for British birds. Ibis 147: 821-826 Available online.
- Madeira Birds: Madeira Firecrest
