Regulus goodfellowi
The Flamecrest (Regulus goodfellowi), a captivating jewel of Taiwan's high-altitude forests, is one of the smallest and most vibrantly colored passerines in its restricted range. Measuring a mere 9 cm (3.5 in) in length and weighing just 5-9 grams, its diminutive size belies a striking appearance. Distinctive field marks include a brilliant, flaming orange crown in males (yellowish in females), framed by a bold black border and a prominent white supercilium above a black eye-stripe, set again...
The Flamecrest inhabits high-elevation montane forests, primarily found in coniferous and mixed broadleaf-conifer woodlands, typically above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) in Taiwan.
Flamecrests primarily feed on small insects and spiders, gleaning them actively from foliage, bark, and moss in the forest canopy and understory.
Flamecrests are highly active, diurnal birds, constantly flitting and hovering among the canopy and understory foliage in search of food. Their foraging strategy involves acrobatic gleaning, often hanging upside down or darting rapidly to snatch small insects and spiders from pine needles, moss, ...
The Flamecrest is strictly endemic to the island of Taiwan, where it is a resident species, exhibiting no migratory movements. Its distribution is confined to the central mountain ranges, inhabiting high-elevation montane forests. Typically found at altitudes ranging from approximately 2,000 mete...
Least Concern
- The Flamecrest is the smallest bird species endemic to Taiwan, a tiny jewel of its high-altitude forests. - Its scientific name, Regulus goodfellowi, honors Walter Goodfellow, a British zoological collector who first collected the species in Taiwan. - The male's vivid orange-red crest is so str...