Madeira Firecrest (Regulus Madeirensis)

The Madeira Firecrest (Regulus madeirensis) is a very small passerine bird that is endemic to the island of Madeira.
The female Madeira Firecrest builds a spherical nest from cobwebs, moss and small twigs, and she incubates the eggs and broods the chicks on her own. Both parents feed the young. This species forages for insects and other small invertebrates in tree heath, laurisilva and other woodland. It is common within its restricted range, and is not considered to be threatened.
The Madeira Firecrest is almost exclusively insectivorous, preying on small arthropods with soft cuticles, such as springtails, aphids and spiders. They also feed on the cocoons and eggs of spiders and insects, and occasionally take pollen. The Madeira Firecrest feeds in trees, exploiting mainly the upper surface of branches in coniferous habitat and of leaves in deciduous trees. Predators include bats, brown rats and feral domestic cats.
The firecrest is the smallest bird of Madeira and Europe.