Madeiran firecrests are tiny endemic island birds which in 2003 were found to be a separate species from common firecrests. They are members of the kinglet family. In the UK our goldcrests are our smallest birds, but firecrests are even smaller, weighing only 5 grams. You can see why they get their name. In the breeding season they raise their crests to attract a mate.
They are round and plump about the size of a ping pong ball.
In Madeira they can be found mostly at higher levels between 600 and 1,550metres. They live mostly in laurel woods and tree heaths. They feed on insects and small invertibrates and use their long sharp beaks to dig them out of cracks in tree bark.
I was lucky enough to see them in a park next to the Monte Gardens in Funchal, then later on while ascending up to a mountain pass.
They were quite tricky to photograph as they flit about so quickly. Sometimes I would hear their high pitched tseep tseep call before spotting flashes of bright orange like sparks in the bushes. I was so pleased to see them.
For comparison, here is a photo of our UK goldgcrest compared to the Madeiran firecrest. Spot the differences! (NB the first photo is a more accurate actual size of a kinglet – about 9cm long. The second photo makes it look larger than it is.)
Sarah's Wildlife Watch 