Taiwan Firecrest
Encyclopedia
The Taiwan Firecrest (火冠戴菊鳥 in Chinese characters), also known as the Flamecrest, is a species of bird
in the kinglet
family
, Regulidae, that is endemic to the mountains of the island of Taiwan
.
, resembling a warbler
. Its length is only 9 cm (3.6 in) and weighing about 7 g, making it is the smallest of all Taiwan's endemic bird species, and the smallest and most colourful member of its family in the world.
The top of its head is yellow
and orange, with black
crown stripes. White feathers encircling the black eye-patches give it the appearance of having two black eye
s. The most distinguishing characteristic is the orange-yellow crest on top of the head, for which it is named. Females have the crown stripe pure yellow while males have an orange centre to it. When excited the male erects the crest. The supercilium is very broad and the lores and forehead are whitish.There is a narrow short black malar stripe. The chin is whitish and the throat, ear-coverts and sides of neck are grey. The mantle is green while the rump and flanks are yellow. The centre of the belly is buff. The wings have broad white covert tips forming a wing bar. The tarsi are pinkish. They have a high pitched see-see-see call and the song consists of a series of high notes.
s, but frequently given family status, especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are taxonomically remote from the warblers. The names of the family, Regulidae, and its only genus, Regulus, are derived from the Latin
regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king", and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets. The Taiwan Firecrest was formally described by Scottish ornithologist
William Ogilvie-Grant
in 1906 from the writings of English explorer and ornithologist, Walter Goodfellow
, who is commemorated in the binomial name.
The Taiwan Firecrest has sometimes been viewed as a race of Firecrest, but its territorial song resembles those of the Himalayan
races of Goldcrest, and genetic data shows that it is closely related to that species, and only distantly to Firecrest. The Flamecrest lineage diverged from that of the Goldcrest 3.0–3.1 mya.
trees in coniferous forests over 2,000 m above sea level, though it is commonest above 2,500 m and ranges upward to 3,700 m. Mountains it inhabits include Alishan
, Tayuling, Hehuanshan
, Yu Shan, and the higher areas of Anmashan. They prefer conifers in which to forage, and are usually found in the forest canopy, but will sometimes venture into lower vegetation.
An analysis of the distribution of Taiwan’s 17 endemic bird species, using data from bird surveys conducted from 1993 to 2004, classified the firecrest as uncommon (along with the Formosan Magpie, Taiwan Bush-warbler
, Yellow Tit
and Taiwan Barwing). It found that the firecrest occurred in high- and mid-altitude coniferous forests, and in high-altitude broad-leaved
mixed forests, mainly at 2000–3600 m above sea level. The sites where it was recorded had an average altitude of about 2550 m, the highest of all the endemic birds. Its habitats had the coldest mean temperature and lowest warmth index of all 17 endemics, as well as the highest annual rainfall for the five uncommon species, though its distribution regarding vegetation and human disturbance was similar to those of the others.
s are mainly solitary but will move around actively in small, loose flocks of their own species as well as Coal Tit
s and Eurasian Nuthatch
es. The flight is weak and whirring. Their breeding biology is poorly known.
. The birds may be seen feeding on insect
s and their larvae on the branches and leaf sheathes of trees in coniferous forests, hovering and gleaning
from leaf to stem. Weeds and berries may be taken occasionally. A study of the foraging
ecology of alpine forest birds on conifers
in the Taroko National Park
found that, when compared with Eurasian Nuthatch
es, Coal Tit
s, Green-backed Tit
s and Black-throated Tits, Firecrests were the most generalised foragers, utilising almost all of the crown
of a tree, rather than specialising in parts of it as with the other species, with which it associates in mixed-species foraging flocks during the non-breeding season.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the kinglet
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Regulidae, that is endemic to the mountains of the island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Description
The firecrest is a small perching birdPasserine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
, resembling a warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
. Its length is only 9 cm (3.6 in) and weighing about 7 g, making it is the smallest of all Taiwan's endemic bird species, and the smallest and most colourful member of its family in the world.
The top of its head is yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
and orange, with black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
crown stripes. White feathers encircling the black eye-patches give it the appearance of having two black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
s. The most distinguishing characteristic is the orange-yellow crest on top of the head, for which it is named. Females have the crown stripe pure yellow while males have an orange centre to it. When excited the male erects the crest. The supercilium is very broad and the lores and forehead are whitish.There is a narrow short black malar stripe. The chin is whitish and the throat, ear-coverts and sides of neck are grey. The mantle is green while the rump and flanks are yellow. The centre of the belly is buff. The wings have broad white covert tips forming a wing bar. The tarsi are pinkish. They have a high pitched see-see-see call and the song consists of a series of high notes.
Taxonomy
The kinglets are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblerOld World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s, but frequently given family status, especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are taxonomically remote from the warblers. The names of the family, Regulidae, and its only genus, Regulus, are derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king", and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets. The Taiwan Firecrest was formally described by Scottish ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
William Ogilvie-Grant
William Robert Ogilvie-Grant
William Robert Ogilvie-Grant was a Scottish ornithologist.-Career:Ogilvie-Grant was educated at Cargilfield and Fettes College, Edinburgh, where he studied zoology and anatomy. In 1882 he became an Assistant at the Natural History Museum. He studied ichthyology under Albert C. L. G...
in 1906 from the writings of English explorer and ornithologist, Walter Goodfellow
Walter Goodfellow
Walter Goodfellow was a British zoological collector and ornithologist.-Career:Goodfellow began his career as a wildlife collector by collecting specimens for museums, but later concentrated on capturing live birds for private aviaries...
, who is commemorated in the binomial name.
The Taiwan Firecrest has sometimes been viewed as a race of Firecrest, but its territorial song resembles those of the Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
races of Goldcrest, and genetic data shows that it is closely related to that species, and only distantly to Firecrest. The Flamecrest lineage diverged from that of the Goldcrest 3.0–3.1 mya.
Distribution and habitat
It usually inhabits evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
trees in coniferous forests over 2,000 m above sea level, though it is commonest above 2,500 m and ranges upward to 3,700 m. Mountains it inhabits include Alishan
Alishan
The Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. It is 415 km² in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway ...
, Tayuling, Hehuanshan
Hehuanshan
Hehuanshan is a high mountain in Central Taiwan. The peak lies on the boundaries of Nantou and Hualien counties and is within the Taroko Gorge National Park. Hehuanshan is a popular destination for the local people of central Taiwan...
, Yu Shan, and the higher areas of Anmashan. They prefer conifers in which to forage, and are usually found in the forest canopy, but will sometimes venture into lower vegetation.
An analysis of the distribution of Taiwan’s 17 endemic bird species, using data from bird surveys conducted from 1993 to 2004, classified the firecrest as uncommon (along with the Formosan Magpie, Taiwan Bush-warbler
Taiwan Bush-warbler
The Taiwan Bush-warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family. It is found only in Taiwan.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.-References:...
, Yellow Tit
Yellow Tit
The Yellow Tit is a species of bird in the Paridae family.It is endemic to central Taiwan.Its natural habitat is montane temperate forest....
and Taiwan Barwing). It found that the firecrest occurred in high- and mid-altitude coniferous forests, and in high-altitude broad-leaved
Broad-leaved tree
A broad-leaved tree or broad-leaf tree or broadleaf tree is any tree that has wide leaves, rather than slim, needle-like leaves as found in conifers...
mixed forests, mainly at 2000–3600 m above sea level. The sites where it was recorded had an average altitude of about 2550 m, the highest of all the endemic birds. Its habitats had the coldest mean temperature and lowest warmth index of all 17 endemics, as well as the highest annual rainfall for the five uncommon species, though its distribution regarding vegetation and human disturbance was similar to those of the others.
Behaviour
Firecrests are active and restless birds, hopping and fluttering about in the canopy. These lively songbirdSongbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
s are mainly solitary but will move around actively in small, loose flocks of their own species as well as Coal Tit
Coal Tit
The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate to subtropical Eurasia and northern Africa. The Spot-winged Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a...
s and Eurasian Nuthatch
Eurasian Nuthatch
The Eurasian Nuthatch, Sitta europaea, is a small passerine found throughout temperate Europe and Asia, although not in Ireland. It belongs to the nuthatch family Sittidae....
es. The flight is weak and whirring. Their breeding biology is poorly known.
Feeding
The firecrest is primarily an insectivoreInsectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
. The birds may be seen feeding on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and their larvae on the branches and leaf sheathes of trees in coniferous forests, hovering and gleaning
Gleaning
Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest...
from leaf to stem. Weeds and berries may be taken occasionally. A study of the foraging
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
ecology of alpine forest birds on conifers
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
in the Taroko National Park
Taroko National Park
Taroko National Park is one of the seven national parks in Taiwan and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park. The park spans Taichung City, Nantou County, and Hualien County....
found that, when compared with Eurasian Nuthatch
Eurasian Nuthatch
The Eurasian Nuthatch, Sitta europaea, is a small passerine found throughout temperate Europe and Asia, although not in Ireland. It belongs to the nuthatch family Sittidae....
es, Coal Tit
Coal Tit
The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate to subtropical Eurasia and northern Africa. The Spot-winged Tit The Coal Tit, Periparus ater, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a...
s, Green-backed Tit
Green-backed Tit
The Green-backed Tit is a species of bird in the Paridae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Vietnam....
s and Black-throated Tits, Firecrests were the most generalised foragers, utilising almost all of the crown
Crown (botany)
The crown of a plant refers to the totality of the plant's aboveground parts, including stems, leaves, and reproductive structures. A plant canopy consists of one or more plant crowns growing in a given area....
of a tree, rather than specialising in parts of it as with the other species, with which it associates in mixed-species foraging flocks during the non-breeding season.