Ruby-crowned Kinglet

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Kinglet, Bird of Southern Winter Forests


The tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet is one of our favorite winter residents. Being just a little bit larger than a hummingbird, you would think that this bird would be shy, but it's not. These lovely little nymphs are in perpetual motion as they travel through the forests in mixed flocks of Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers and Brown-headed Nuthatches. The males display their ruby crown only when they are agitated.

We hope you enjoy learning a little about the second smallest bird in the U.S.

 

Ruby-crowned Kinglets: the Winter Fairy Bird of Louisiana

Regulus calendula


One of our favorite tiny woodland sprites is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This fascinating little bird always seems to be in motion. It darts under leaves and flits into vines to eat poison oak berries, then flies back to search for more insects, again and again. The male has a small ruby red spot on the top of its head which is only seen when the little guy becomes irritated or during mating. Since we only host this bird during the fall and winter, we only see the spot when the bird is upset and it is also making a tiny annoyed tittering sound.

The photo above shows one using one of our "Katrina log" feeders. After Hurricane Katrina there were over 150 large, mature trees down. We cut up and removed most of them by hand because we did not want to destroy the native under story plants that were left. As a result, we have many shelf feeders (upright logs) all over the property. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

 

Description


  • A tiny bird, just a little larger than a hummingbird.
  • Color is dull, olive-green.
  • Bars on the wings
  • Ring around the eye.
  • Short tail
  • Black legs and dull orange-yellow feet
  • Always in constant motion and continually flicks its wings.
  • Male has red crown which is usually hidden.

  • Size: 9-11 cm (4-4 in)
  • Wingspan: 16-18 cm (6-7 in)
  • Weight: 5-10 g (0.18-0.35 ounces)

  • Sexes are similar, but the female is without the red crown.

Sounds and Songs

Listen to the songs and sounds of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Breeding
Ruby-crowned Kinglets do not breed here in Louisiana, but in the northern United States. An interesting fact about their breeding habits is that despite its tiny size, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet lays a very large clutch of eggs. Although the eggs themselves weigh only 0.65 g (0.02 oz), an entire clutch can weigh as much as the female herself.


Reference: All About Birds
 

Ruby Crowned Kinglet Eggs & Babies Video

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Diet


ruby-crown eating suetKinglets travel through the forests in mixed groups of Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Pine Warblers and Downy Woodpeckers. In the wild they eat small berries (like poison oak) and insects. According to Martin, Zim and Nelson in American Wildlife and Plants, A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits, while they are primarily insectivorous, one-tenth of Ruby-crowned Kinglets fall and winter food comes from plants. Insects eaten include: wasps, bugs, flies, beetles, plant lice and insect eggs.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets will visit shelf style bird feeders. We often see them on our "Katrina log" feeders, picking at small bits of sunflower seeds or insects. They also love our home made suet and visit our suet feeders daily during the winter. Kinglets also enjoy hummingbird feeders and will steal a sip now and then.

 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bathing Video

We don't get to see this often, though they do visit the bird bath during the winter when they are in Louisiana.
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Bookmark

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bookmark

Amazon Price: $1.99 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

Best Binoculars on Amazon


Every bird watcher needs a good pair of binoculars and if you want to really observe tiny birds like the Kinglet, binoculars are a must.

Swarovski SLC Binocular 8x30

Amazon Price: $999.99 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now

Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Binoculars are a Must for Birders

There are many excellent binoculars on the market. Here are a few that you can find at Amazon.

Nikon 7216 Action 8 X 40mm Binoculars

Nikon 7216 Action 8 X 40mm Binoculars

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Nikon 7218 Action 10 X 50mm Binoculars

Nikon 7218 Action 10 X 50mm Binoculars

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Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 X 42mm All Terrain Binoculars

Nikon 7430 Monarch 8 X 42mm All Terrain Binoculars

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Bushnell Falcon 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars (Black)

Bushnell Falcon 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars (Black)

An exceptional go-everywhere binocular, the Falcon more...0 points

Olympus Tracker 8x25 Porro Prism Compact & Lightweight Binocular

Olympus Tracker 8x25 Porro Prism Compact & Lightweight Binocular

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Nikon 7245 Action Ex Extreme 10 X 50 mm All Terrain Binoculars

Nikon 7245 Action Ex Extreme 10 X 50 mm All Terrain Binoculars

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Canon SLR Camera


Many birders enjoy photographing birds and other wildlife. We use a Canon PowerShot S5IS, but here is one that's even better.
 

Good Cameras on Amazon


We used a Canon PowerShot S5IS for most of the photos that you see on this lens. For good photos of birds, you need a camera with at least a 12X optical image stabilized zoom.
 

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Whether the action is fast or slow, close up or far more...0 points

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)

For stunning photography with point-and-shoot ease more...0 points

Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS 8.0MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS 8.0MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The ultra-powerful 12x optical zoom on the PowerSh more...0 points

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi offers an unbeatable c more...0 points

Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black)

Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black)

10.1-megapixel effective recording * 18X optical z more...0 points

Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

The lightest, most compact Nikon digital SLR ever, more...0 points

Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

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18-55mm AFS DX Nikkor / Fast Start-up / Active Dus more...0 points

Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

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The PENTAX K200D, perfect for developing digital S more...0 points

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Photos on Flickr

Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Kelly Colgan Azar
I thought it was a warbler by ibm4381
Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Kelly Colgan Azar
Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Dan Pancamo
Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Dan Pancamo
Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Velo Steve
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) by Noel Reynolds
_DSC5372 by Bird Brian
camcam's eye view by triggzBb
IMG_9534s-1 by winnu
Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Kelly Colgan Azar
Ruby Crowned Kinglet by D.Fletcher
automatically generated by Flickr

Kinglets on eBay

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet Video

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ruby crowned kinglet pecks on window 0 points

Winter Birds Books and Supplies on Amazon


The cute little Ruby-crowned Kinglets will visit many different types of feeders. There are also some great guide books that will help you identify Kinglets and the other birds of winter. Any of the following would make a great gift for the bird lover on your list.
 

Heath Outdoor Products 2304 Single Leaf Suet Feeder

Heath Outdoor Products 2304 Single Leaf Suet Feeder

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Suet Sanctuary Feeder (2 suet cakes) Bird Feeder

Suet Sanctuary Feeder (2 suet cakes) Bird Feeder

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Brome 1024 Squirrel Buster Plus Wild Bird Feeder with Cardinal Perch Ring

Brome 1024 Squirrel Buster Plus Wild Bird Feeder with Cardinal Perch Ring

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Heritage Farms 7533 Absolute Squirrel Proof Wild Bird Feeder

Heritage Farms 7533 Absolute Squirrel Proof Wild Bird Feeder

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Perky Pet 348 Wild Bird Window Feeder

Perky Pet 348 Wild Bird Window Feeder

1 Cup Capacity Window Bird Feeder Holds Any Type Of more...0 points

The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible: The A-to-Z Guide To Feeders, Seed Mixes, Projects, And Treats (Rodale Organic Gardening Book) by Sally Roth

The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible: The A-to-Z Guide To Feeders, Seed Mixes, Projects, And Treats (Rodale Organic Gardening Book) by Sally Roth

Become the best bird host in your neighborhood. Let more...0 points

The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley

The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley

David Allen Sibley, America's most gifted contemporary more...0 points

Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour (Ornithology) by David Sibley

Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behaviour (Ornithology) by David Sibley

This work is a follow-up and companion volume to t more...0 points

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

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Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America by Kenn Kaufman

Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America by Kenn Kaufman

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Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region (Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs) by Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes

Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region (Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs) by Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes

Features: Consists of three CDs and a guide bookle more...0 points

Birds of Winter Lenses


These are some of the other birds that visit our habitat in Southeastern Louisiana during Winter.

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Ruby-crowned Kinglets on Zazzle

Check out these Zazzle products by naturegirl7.

Ruby-crown Eats Mug mug Ruby-crowned Magnet magnet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bloom Mousepad mousepad

Gifts for the Nature Lover


These lenses contain many beautiful nature and bird related photos, art work and gift ideas for the nature lover on your list.
 

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  • Reply
    wilddove6 Jan 23, 2010 @ 12:13 pm | delete
    What a delightful lens on such a delightful bird!
    I live in the Pacific Northwest and we get both the Ruby-crowned and Gold-crowned Kinglet.
    You can always tell when a flock is moving through on a trail hike...lots of wee twitters, and no fear of anything :)
    Your pictures are amazing given this fast and flighty little gem!
    Wing high five!
  • Reply
    ElizabethJeanAllen Dec 8, 2008 @ 7:36 pm | delete
    What an adorable little bird. I have to admit, I never heard of it. Its not on the South Carolina lists anyway. And yes, I want a bluebird box for Christmas as well but my husband doesn't know a bluebird box from a Martin house. I'm giving him one for Christmas. That way I'll get what I want.
    Great lens
    Lizzy
  • Reply
    Comfortdoc Dec 3, 2008 @ 10:01 pm | delete
    Thank you for submitting this to the Spirit of the Season Challenge. Great to see the Zazzle module at work.
  • Reply
    spoonfulsofdoodles Dec 2, 2008 @ 10:08 pm | delete
    Beautifully done and that new Zazzle module is superb!! :)

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blog Posts

JOAN CARSON | Little kinglets wear ruby and golden crowns
Ruby-crowned and golden-crowned kinglets are grouped under Old World Warblers in North American field guides. Their European cousins are called (English version) firecrests and goldcrests. Both European kinglets look much like our golden-crowned ...
In Unalaska, rare birds brighten winter days
In early November, an American robin, also rare in the Aleutians, appeared on Strawberry Hill, followed by a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (second Aleutian record) and two Golden-crowned Kinglets (first Aleutian record). Bright and spunky, the kinglets soon ...
Country Ecology: Kinglets
Golden-crowned kinglets are even a bit shorter than the ruby-crowned kinglet, which does not stick around with us during the cold season. That has a more rollicking voice, but has headed south for the winter months. The golden-crowned has a ...
OPINION: Rare birds brighten winter days
In early November, an American robin, also rare in the Aleutians, appeared on Strawberry Hill, followed by a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (second Aleutian record) and two Golden-crowned Kinglets (first Aleutian record). Bright and spunky, the kinglets soon ...

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naturegirl7

My husband and I have always loved nature and the outdoors. We currently maintain a 9 acre private wildlife preserve.

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