The Goldcrest is distributed throughout most of Europe and across southern Siberia and the Himalayas to Japan and China. See the distribution map at xeno-canto. It has a more northerly distribution than the similar Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus which is found, for example in southern England while Goldcrest is found throughout the British Isles.

It is closely linked to coniferous forest and woodland preferring spruce, silver fir and mountain pine to larch and Scots pine. It also seems to find introduced conifers attractive and I occasionally see a few Goldcrest in a mixed tit flock on a cypress tree near my house. More recently a pair have spent the winter in my garden.

At 9 cms it is the smallest European bird and is pale green above and dirty white below. The yellow crown-stripe with black borders is perhaps its most noticeable feature but note also its large, dark eye in a "cute" and "innocent" face compared to the more severely marked Firecrest.

Its thin, high-pitched calls are normally what alerts one to its presence.