Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Regulus calendula

 

eBird provides this description of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet:  Tiny, hyperactive songbird with an uneven white eyering. Plain olive overall, with slightly brighter greenish edges on the wing and tail feathers. The namesake ruby crown is only present on males, and usually concealed. When agitated, it can be flared up into a bright expressive crest. Breeds in coniferous forests. In migration and winter, found in basically any wooded habitat, including deciduous forests, shrubby woodland, and field edges. Often forages quite low to the ground, sometimes joining mixed flocks of other songbirds. Energetic, moving quickly and flicking its wings. Listen for short, harsh call notes, usually doubled, and surprisingly loud song for such a small bird. Compare with Hutton’s Vireo, which is similar in plumage but has a thicker bill and forages more sluggishly.  All About Birds adds this descriptive information about the Ruby-crowned Kinglet:  A tiny bird seemingly overflowing with energy, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet forages almost frantically through lower branches of shrubs and trees. Its habit of constantly flicking its wings is a key identification clue. Smaller than a warbler or chickadee, this plain green-gray bird has a white eyering and a white bar on the wing. Alas, the male’s brilliant ruby crown patch usually stays hidden—your best chance to see it is to find an excited male singing in spring or summer.

I encountered my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Sabine Woods on the morning of April 20, 2021.  The bird made a brief appearance at the east drip and I was fortunate to get a couple of pictures of it. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Sabine Woods, April 20, 2021. Since the bird was not displaying its bright ruby crown/crest, I do not know the sex (male only displays crown).
Another shot of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet during its brief visit to the east drip at Sabine Woods. April 20, 2021.


“Cool Facts” About The Ruby-crowned Kinglet From All About Birds:

  • The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a tiny bird that lays a very large clutch of eggs—there can be up to 12 in a single nest. Although the eggs themselves weigh only about a fiftieth of an ounce, an entire clutch can weigh as much as the female herself.
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglets seem nervous as they flit through the foliage, flicking their wings nearly constantly. Keeping an eye out for this habit can be a useful aid to identifying kinglets.
  • Metabolic studies on Ruby-crowned Kinglets suggest that these tiny birds use only about 10 calories (technically, kilocalories) per day.
  • The oldest known Ruby-crowned Kinglet was a female, and at least 4 years, 7 months old, when she was recaptured and re-released during banding operations in California in 2007. She had been banded in the same state in 2003.