Editing Goldcrest (section)

==== The Atlantic islands ====
Two groups of goldcrest [[taxa]] are found on the Atlantic islands of [[Macaronesia]]. Birds on the [[Canary Islands]] are ancient colonists, whereas those on the [[Azores]] are of more recent origin. There are no goldcrests on [[Madeira]], where the [[Madeira firecrest]] is the only ''Regulus'' species.<ref name= Baker/><ref name= Sangster>{{cite journal | last= Sangster | first= George |author2=Collinson, J Martin |author3=Helbig, Andreas J |author4=Knox, Alan G |author5=Parkin, David T. | year= 2005| title= Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: third report | journal= Ibis | volume= 147 | pages = 821–826 | doi =10.1111/j.1474-919X.2005.00483.x | issue= 4| s2cid= 250043960 | doi-access= free }}</ref>

The Canary Islands were colonised in two waves. The first step was the occupation of [[Tenerife]] and [[La Gomera]] 1.9–2.3&nbsp;million years ago, followed by a separate invasion of [[El Hierro]] and [[La Palma]] 1.3–1.8 mya.<ref name= packert2004/>

Birds from the Canary Islands are particularly distinctive having a black forehead, pink-buff underparts and a darker closed wing,<ref name= Mullarney>{{cite book | last = Mullarney | first = Killian | author-link = Killian Mullarney |author2=Svensson, Lars |author2-link=Lars Svensson (ornithologist) |author3=Zetterstrom, Dan |author3-link=Zetterstrom, Dan |author4=Grant, Peter J. |author4-link=Grant, Peter J. |title = Collins Bird Guide | year = 1999 | publisher = London: Collins | page = 336| isbn = 978-0-00-219728-1| title-link = Collins Bird Guide }}</ref> and have been sometimes treated either as a subspecies of the common firecrest or as a different ''Regulus'' species altogether.<ref name= BB89>{{cite journal | last= Löhrl | first= Hans |author2=Thaler, Ellen |author3=Christie, David A |date=September 1996 | title= Status and behaviour of the Tenerife Kinglet | journal= [[British Birds (magazine)|British Birds]] | volume= 89 | pages= 379–386 }}</ref> They were sometimes called the Tenerife goldcrest, no matter which of the islands they lived on; however, a 2006 study of the vocalisations of these birds indicate that they actually comprise two subspecies of the goldcrest that are separable on voice; ''R. r. teneriffae'' occurring on Tenerife and the newly described subspecies, ''R. r. ellenthalerae'', the western Canary Islands goldcrest, occurring on the smaller islands of La Palma and El Hierro.<ref name= pack2006>{{cite journal | last= Päckert | first= Martin | year=2006 | title= Song dialects as diagnostic characters—acoustic differentiation of the Canary Island Goldcrest subspecies ''Regulus regulus teneriffae'' Seebohm 1883 and ''R. r. ellenthalerae'' Päckert ''et al. '' 2006 (Aves: Passeriformes: Regulidae) | journal= Zootaxa | volume= 1325 | pages= 99–115 | url =http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/z01325p115f.pdf | doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.1325.1.7}}</ref> 
[[File:Forest Los Tilos.jpg|thumb| The recently discovered subspecies ''R. r. ellenthalerae'' occurs in [[laurisilva]] forest on [[La Palma]] (above) and [[El Hierro]] in the [[Canary Islands]].]]
* [[Tenerife goldcrest]] ''R. r. teneriffae'' (Seebohm, 1883). Found on Tenerife and La Gomera, Canary Islands; it is a distinctive, small subspecies with a black forehead and pink-buff underparts.
* [[Western Canary Islands goldcrest]] ''R. r. ellenthalerae'' (Päckert ''et al.'', 2006). Resident on La Palma and El Hierro, Canary Islands.

Differences in songs, genetics and [[morphology (biology)|morphology]] suggests that the Azores were colonised in a single invasion in the late [[Pleistocene]], about 100,000 years ago. It is likely that the initial colonisation was of the easternmost islands, with a subsequent spread to the central and western island groups from the western [[caldera]] of [[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]], where both eastern and western song types are found.
* [[Sao Miguel Goldcrest]] ''R. r. azoricus'' ([[Henry Seebohm|Seebohm]], 1883). Found only on [[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]], Azores; it is like ''R. r. inermis'', except the underparts are more olive-buff.
* [[Western Azores goldcrest]] ''R. r. inermis'' (Murphy & Chapin, 1929). Resident on [[Flores Island (Azores)|Flores]], [[Faial Island|Faial]], [[Terceira Island|Terceira]], [[São Jorge Island|São Jorge]] and [[Pico Island|Pico]], Azores; its upper-parts are a darker olive-green than those of the nominate form, and the underparts are also darker.
* [[Santa Maria goldcrest]] ''R. r. sanctaemariae'' (Vaurie, 1954). Found only on [[Santa Maria Island (Azores)]]; it is paler than other Azores subspecies and whitish below.