Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla

Breeding distribution 2007–2012

Scarce (probably overlooked) winter/passage and local but increasing breeder

Hide topography

Show rivers

Show woodland

Show urbanisation

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2013

ST73 - Probable breeding ST73 - Probable breeding ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST73 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST74 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST75 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST76 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST77 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST82 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST83 ST84 - Confirmed breeding ST84 - Confirmed breeding ST84 - Probable breeding ST84 - Possible breeding ST84 - Possible breeding ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST84 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST85 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST86 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST87 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST88 ST91 - Possible breeding ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST91 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST92 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST93 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST94 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST95 ST96 - Present ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST96 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST97 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST98 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 ST99 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU02 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU03 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU04 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU05 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU06 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU07 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU08 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU09 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU12 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU13 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU14 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU15 SU16 - Possible breeding SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU16 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU17 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU18 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU19 SU21 - Probable breeding SU21 - Probable breeding SU21 - Probable breeding SU21 - Possible breeding SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU21 SU22 - Confirmed breeding SU22 - Confirmed breeding SU22 - Confirmed breeding SU22 - Probable breeding SU22 - Probable breeding SU22 - Probable breeding SU22 - Probable breeding SU22 - Probable breeding SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU22 SU23 - Possible breeding SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU23 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU24 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU25 SU26 - Possible breeding SU26 - Possible breeding SU26 - Possible breeding SU26 - Possible breeding SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU26 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU27 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU28 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU29 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU35 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU36 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37 SU37

Map explanation

This map shows the breeding season distribution of the species in Wiltshire as revealed by the shared fieldwork for Bird Atlas 2007-2011 (BTO 2013) and for Wiltshire Tetrad Atlas 2007-2012.

Key

Status

Nos tetrads


Present

1

<1%


Possible breeding

10

1%


Probable breeding

11

1%


Confirmed breeding

5

1%


Total

27

3%

Records have been centralised in each 10km square for confidentiality

Firecrests have been extending their range since the late 19th century but are still confined largely to continental Europe, west of Russia and north to Denmark and Lithuania, with outposts in northwest Africa, various Mediterranean islands and Asia Minor. In Britain, until the 1960s, they mainly occurred as scarce summer passage migrants along the south coast north to East Anglia and as winter visitors to an even smaller area from Dorset to the Isles of Scilly. Evidence of breeding was first detected in the New Forest in 1961. By 1969, 27 singing males were recorded in the New Forest with other records from Hertfordshire and Dorset. Their range continued to expand from then on. The 1988-91 Breeding Atlas recorded presence in 99 10km squares in England and Wales, mostly in central and southern England, extending north to Lancashire.

            In Wiltshire, the first record was of one shot in Savernake Forest in 1881. There were a few more isolated occurrence after that but it wasn’t until the mid 1960s that they began to appear annually as passage migrants or winter visitors. The first confirmed breeding record occurred on 18 July 1983 at Shear Water. Thereafter at least one and up to 17 records of confirmed or probable breeding were registered every year until 2000, with numbers continuing to increase in subsequent years. Birds of Wiltshire recorded confirmed or probable breeding in nine tetrads; WTA2 recorded breeding in 16 tetrads, with more than one territory in several of the tetrads.

References

The following references are used throughout these species accounts, in the abbreviated form given in quotation marks:

“1968-72 Breeding Atlas” – Sharrack, J.T.R. 1976: The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. T. & A. Poyser

“1981-84 Winter Atlas” – Lack, P.C. 1986: The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland. T. & A. Poyser

1988-91 Breeding Atlas” – Gibbons, D.W., Reid, J.B. & Chapman, R.A. 1993: The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1988-91. T. & A. Poyser

Birds of Wiltshire” – Ferguson-Lees, I.J. et al. 2007 : Birds of Wiltshire, published by the tetrad atlas group of the Wiltshire Ornithological Society after mapping fieldwork 1995-2000. Wiltshire Ornithological Society.

“Bird Atlas 2007-2011” – Balmer, D.E., Gillings, S., Caffrey, B.J., Swann, R.L., Downie, I.S. and Fuller, R.J. 2013: Bird Atlas 2007-2011: the Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

WTA2” – ("Wiltshire Tetrad Atlas 2 ") the present electronic publication, bringing together the Wiltshire data from “Birds of Wiltshire” and “Bird Atlas 2007-11”, together with data from further fieldwork carried out in 2011 and 2012.

"Hobby" - the annual bird report of the Wiltshire Ornithological Society.