Annual Captures and Biometrics of Goldcrests Regulus regulus at a Western Hungarian Stopover Site

Abstract Annual captures and biometric parameters of the Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) were studied at Tömörd, western Hungary. We used records of 4,284 individuals trapped and ringed between August and November within the study period (1998–2020). The Goldcrest was determined to be a regular partial migrant species with highly intensive migration in 2000, 2001, 2008, 2014 and 2019. The catching results showed very high number fluctuations at Tömörd, but the smoothed curves were distinctly wave-like in all age and sex classes. There were significant positive correlations between annual captures of age and sex classes. The average proportion of immature Goldcrests was 90%, the average proportion of male individuals was 63% and both proportions were stable between 1998 and 2020. There were similar decreasing trends in the average annual wing length and body mass of males and females from 1998 to 2020. This may indicate that the migration strategies of females may be modified by global climate change.