Races:
Regulus regulus regulus Linnaeus, 1758
Regulus regulus coatsi Sushkin, 1904
Regulus regulus tristis Pleske, 1894

No Synonyms

Description

Common resident. Inhabits spruce and fir forest at 1700-2600 m in Zailiyskiy Alatau and 1450-1600 m in Altai. On dispersal and in winter visits flood plain deciduous forest, mixed and riparian forest, groves, forest-belts, bush and tall weeds thickets. Breeding in separate pairs, fairly far from each other. Nest is built in spruce twig at 2.5-15 m above ground from moss, lichen, cobweb, hair, vegetation fluff and grass bast lined with plenty of feathers. Both partners build it for 17-20 days. Clutches of 7-9 eggs in mid-May – early July. Only female incubates for 16-18 days, male feeds her. Both parents feed juveniles, which fledge at 18-20 days old, in end June – mid-July. One brood per season, repeated breeding after loss of first nest is common. Autumn-winter dispersal begins singly or in loose flocks up to one-two dozen birds mainly in September – October. Return spring movements not so clear, latest recorded in February, March or April and even in early May.

Races

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus regulus)	Regulus regulus regulus Linnaeus, 1758 Back olive-green, more dark green; grey colour on back party of neck less developed than coatsi. Occurs on dispersal and in winter on Ural valley, in Northern and occasionally in Central Kazakhstan (in particular in Kurgaldzhino Reserve 19 October 1984). At once 2 November 1927 obtained on Syrdarya near Dzhulek.
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus coatsi)	Regulus regulus coatsi Sushkin, 1904 Back lighter, grey colour on hind neck more developed than regulus. Probably this race breeds in Western and Southern Altai and also occurs on dispersal and in winter.
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus tristis)	Regulus regulus tristis Pleske, 1894 Sharply differentiate race. From others subspecies differs by smaller development and more light tone of yellow spot on crown. At males orange shade on crown absent or poorly developed, at females yellow spot strongly reduced and has pale-yellow colour. Black strips on each side of yellow spot developed much more poorly, than at other races, at females they very poorly marked or absent. General colour lighter, dull greyish-green. Breeding in Tien Shan (Zailiyskiy Alatau, Kungey Alatau, Ketmen' ridge) and Dzhungarskiy Alatau. On dispersal and in winter occurs in foothills, and by mountains it reaches Western Tien Shan (on Chokpak Pass recorded 23-30 October 1968, 22 October 1971, 13 October 1972, 28 September – 25 October 1973, 6-24 October 2000, 23 October 2002, 20-25 October 2003, 4-22 October 2004) and Tashkent.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.