Golden Chickens: song, nest & more

Is the golden chicken really the smallest songbird in Europe? How can you tell the difference between the golden cockerel and the golden cockerel? Read our profile to learn this and more.

The winter golden cockerel (Regulus regulus) is actually the smallest songbird in Europe. It weighs less than a 1 euro coin and has an equally rounded body shape which, together with its size, gives it a very "cute" look. The name of the smallest songbird could only be given to him by the golden cockerel (Regulus ignicapilla) dispute which is very closely related to the winter gold cockerel and is only a few millimeters larger on average. As you can clearly tell the two species apart, distinguish female and male winter goldfries and You can even recognize the smallest songbird in Europe by its voice here in our big one Species portrait.

Winter golden cockerel: wanted poster

size	About 9 cm
weight	Approx. 4 - 7 g
Breeding season	March - July
lifespan	About 4 years
habitat	Coniferous forests, parks with conifers
food	Very small insects
Threats	Harsh winters, food decline, trapping (some countries), natural predators (cats, birds of prey)

This is how you recognize the winter golden chicken

Recognizing a golden chicken is not difficult. Despite their small, rounded shape, the birds are very noticeable. They have an olive-green back, green-black-white striped wing-coverts and a grayish-white underside. The most noticeable feature, however, is the bright yellow to orange, black-framed stripe on the vertex. A golden cockerel can always be recognized unequivocally by this characteristic.

What is the difference between winter golden chickens and summer golden chickens?

Once you have discovered a golden chicken, the question arises whether it is a summer or a winter golden chicken. This distinction can be easily made on the basis of a single characteristic: Summer gold-frilled chickens have a distinct, white over-eye stripe that is missing in winter gold-chickens.

What is the difference between females and males of the golden cockerel?

Female and male winter golden chickens look very similar. The only distinguishing feature is the color of the crown stripe: while this in the females in a fresh Shining lemon yellow, the crown of the males is a bright orange, which only turns yellow on the forehead transforms.

Note: Depending on the light, the color impression can be deceptive and the distinction between the two sexes does not work as well as one would expect. Of course, the best way to tell the difference is to see males and females right next to each other.

What does winter golden chicken singing sound like?

A deep, throaty bird's voice would probably be out of place with the little winter golden chickens. And in fact, the animals' song goes very well with their title as the smallest songbirds in Europe - they probably also have the highest voice. The singing consists of a quick, repeated “pitelitü” that is so high and clear that the elderly can often no longer hear it.

The golden chicken chant sounds like this:

How do you recognize a young golden cockerel?

You can already recognize young golden cockerels by their tiny, spherical shape, their olive-green plumage and their black-and-white patterned wings. However, the young birds differ from the adults in the absence of the conspicuous vertex. In addition, the beak of the young is lighter than that of the adult golden cockerel and is slightly orange in color.

What do winter golden chicken eggs look like?

Winter gold chickens have quite large clutches of up to 11 eggs. The eggs are white and covered with yellowish-brown spots that pile up at the blunt end of the egg and make it appear darker at this point. To match the little golden chickens, the eggs are only about 1.4 centimeters in size and weigh less than a gram.

Which habitat does the golden cockerel prefer?

Golden Chickens love conifers. With us they are mainly bound to spruce stands and occur in pure coniferous and mixed forests. In the mountains they also live, for example, in stone pine forests. The golden cockerel can also be found in urban parks or large gardens - as long as there is an appealing group of large, bushy spruce trees.

Where does the winter golden chicken build its nest?

The golden cockerel builds its nest in the branches of conifers - mainly spruce trees. A nest of moss and lichen is built in the drooping twigs, which is tightly woven into the twigs and fastened with textiles from spider and caterpillar cocoons. The inside of the nest is padded with animal hair.

When is the golden cockerel breeding season?

Goldfinches start hatching in late March or early April. This task falls to the female alone. It always leaves the eggs for a short time in search of food and spends the rest of the time hatching. After about 15-16 days, the young birds hatch and are then mainly supplied with food by the male. In the meantime, the female starts a new clutch - even before the first young birds have even left the nest.

Where does the golden cockerel spend the winter?

As the name suggests, you can also find winter golden chickens here in winter. Despite their small shape, which is not made to store a lot of heat, the birds defy the cold season. Only populations from Northern Europe, where the winters are particularly hard, leave their breeding grounds and wander further south - Scandinavian winter golden chickens, for example, migrate in the direction Hamburg. During this time, the golden chickens look for warmth and food in their dense spruce branches.

Support the winter golden cockerel in the garden: this is how it works

Even in gardens, golden cocks can feel at home - as long as there are conifers with enough food available. Here you can find out what demands the little birds place on a home and how you can meet them.

What do winter golden chickens eat?

Winter gold cocks only eat small arthropods, such as insects or spiders. However, they only hunt the smallest representatives of these groups. Springtails, for example, which are only a few millimeters in size, make up a large part of the food. The birds look for food on branches and twigs of conifers and can eat their own body weight every day. Fledglings and females that lay eggs even need twice as much food.

Which nesting aids are suitable for winter golden chickens?

Golden Chickens make very special demands on their nesting sites. They breed exclusively in the hanging branches of conifers. A classic nest box does not help the little songbirds. Such buildings are more suitable for Blue tits, Tree Sparrows or Redstart. However, if you have spruce trees or other conifers to offer in your garden, be sure to include them do not thin out too much, because the little golden cockerels need dense, bushy branches to build theirs Nests.

How can you additionally support the winter golden chicken?

As pronounced insect eater, the golden cockerel is heavily dependent on the supply of small crawling animals. The increasing loss of insects makes the small birds difficult to create. With the design of a insect-friendly garden you can counteract this negative trend and support the golden chicken. Creating a flower meadow, for example, can create living space for numerous small garden dwellers. With ours, for example Plantura beneficial insect magnet you can do this with ease. Our seed mix attracts many small animals into the garden and makes the winter golden cockerel happy too.
Like all garden birds, the golden cockerel also benefits from a water supply: be it in the form of a small pond or a bird bath.

Incidentally, many other bird species are also happy to have a lively and varied garden, such as the House sparrow or the wagtail.