The goldcrest is Britain smallest bird, weighing less than a pound coin, and its welfare during cold winters is one of the most precarious of any British species, requiring continuous feeding to maintain body temperature through short winter days.
Goldcrest welfare during cold winters is among the most acute of any British bird. With no ability to store significant fat reserves, a single cold night can kill birds that have not fed adequately during the preceding day. The provision of insects in sheltered garden conifers provides critical winter foraging habitat. Population crashes after severe winters can be dramatic, but the species high reproductive rate allows rapid recovery during subsequent mild years.