Weighing just around five grams, the goldcrest is the smallest bird in Europe and, as a “tiny bird”, has few ADVERSARIES: pygmy owls and sparrowhawks look for larger prey. However, being so small also comes with its disadvantages, as a goldcrest has to search for food almost non-stop to keep its energy levels up. Especially during the long, cold winter nights, the goldcrest “burns” up to a quarter of its body weight! On cold nights, the otherwise largely incompatible goldcrests sometimes move close together. It’s all about cuddling up and saving energy! The formation of an egg is also an extraordinarily energetic feat for a goldcrest. One egg weighs almost one gram, which is about one fifth of its body weight! The weight of the female can be recognised by the fact that she hardly flies on the evening before laying her eggs and only hops along the branches. Since a clutch can have 8 - 12 eggs, the female lays well over twice her own weight – a truly magnificent achievement for such a tiny bird!