The goldcrest (Regulus regulus) is a very small bird in the kinglet family. Named for its colourful golden crest feathers, it is called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across a very large distribution range that includes much of Eurasia and the islands of Macaronesia. This kinglet has greenish upper- parts and whitish under-parts, with two white wingbars. It has a bright head crest, orange and yellow in the male and yellow in the female, which is displayed during breeding. The song is a repetition of high thin notes. It breeds in coniferous woodland and gardens, building its compact, three-layered nest on a tree branch. Ten to twelve eggs are incubated by the female alone, and the chicks are fed by both parents; second broods are common. The bird is constantly on the move as it searches for insects to eat. Because of its large range and population, it presents no significant conservation concerns.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldcrest

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1855:

Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, was founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the United States' first agricultural college. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_State_University

1909:

New Zealand's worst maritime disaster of the 20th century took place when 75 people died after the ferry SS Penguin struck a rock in Wellington Harbour and sank. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Penguin

1947:

The French fashion company Christian Dior unveiled a "New Look" that revolutionized women's dress and reestablished Paris as the center of the fashion world after World War II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Dior_SE

2009:

Just before it was scheduled to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed into a house in Clarence Center, New York, killing the house's occupant and all 49 people on board the aircraft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colgan_Air_Flight_3407

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

living fossil: 1. (evolutionary theory) Any species discovered first as a fossil and believed extinct, but which is later found living; an organism that has remained unchanged over geological periods. 2. (evolutionary theory) Any living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives in most anatomical details. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/living_fossil

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

In vain were all her sighs and tears, In vain were all his anxious fears: All, insubstantial, doomed to pass, As moonlight mirrored in the water, Or flowers reflected in a glass.   --Dream of the Red Chamber https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber