Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Regulus regulus

Regulus regulus

9.3
A very small European bird with a bright yellow patch on its head and a black edge
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : regulus
  • A distinctive feature of the Regulus regulus is its bright yellow crown patch.

Examples

  • Ornithologists often refer to the goldcrest by its scientific name, Regulus regulus.

  • The Regulus regulus is commonly known as the goldcrest in Britain and Europe.

  • I spotted a Regulus regulus in the garden.

  • The Regulus regulus is known for its beautiful song.

  • A distinctive feature of the Regulus regulus is its bright yellow crown patch.

  • Ornithologists often refer to the goldcrest by its scientific name, Regulus regulus.

  • The Regulus regulus is commonly known as the goldcrest in Britain and Europe.

Synonyms

goldcrest
vsRegulus regulus
  • UK
9.8

A very small European songbird with a yellow patch on its head edged in black

is the scientific name for that species
golden-crested kinglet
vsRegulus regulus
  • UK
9.3

A very small European bird with a bright yellow crown patch edged in black

is the scientific name rather than the common one

Surface Forms

Regulus regulus singular
Regulus regulus plural

Morphology

Regulus + Regulus

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species). A learner who knows 'Regulus' as a small passerine can infer that 'Regulus regulus' names a bird, but identifying it specifically as the goldcrest or understanding the taxonomic repetition requires domain knowledge of scientific naming conventions, so the meaning is only partially recoverable from the constituents.

Etymology

Regulus regulus may come from the Latin word regulus, which means 'little king'. The tiny bird's bright yellow crown patch looks like a small golden crown, so the name fits the goldcrest we know today.