Golden-crowned kinglet • Regulus satrapa
Photos by Todd Carnahan (left) and Kim Wetten with the VIU Bird Banding Project (right).
Identification
This tiny bird, reaching only 10 cm long, is distinguished by a brightly-coloured patch on the top of its head. The bright patch, which is yellow in females and orange edged with yellow in males, is bordered with black stripes. The orange part of the male's crown isn't always visible. Below each black border stripe is a white eyebrow. The bird's body is a drab olive-green or olive-grey colour above and whitish below. Its olive-green wings are barred with black and white, and are tinged with yellow.
This tiny bird, reaching only 10 cm long, is distinguished by a brightly-coloured patch on the top of its head. The bright patch, which is yellow in females and orange edged with yellow in males, is bordered with black stripes. The orange part of the male's crown isn't always visible. Below each black border stripe is a white eyebrow. The bird's body is a drab olive-green or olive-grey colour above and whitish below. Its olive-green wings are barred with black and white, and are tinged with yellow.
This tiny bird is not much bigger than a hummingbird, and like a hummingbird it is almost always in motion, with a habit of constantly flicking its wings when not in flight. Its call consists of high-pitched tsee notes, while its song consists of even higher-pitched tsee notes that start of slow and speed up into a trill. Click here to hear its song.
Habitat & Range
The golden-crowned kinglet is most commonly found in coniferous forests, though occasionally can be found in mixed coniferous and deciduous forests. Its year-round range stretches from the coast of Alaska southward to the coast of northern California, and extends into some of the interior western United States. Together the year-round, breeding, and non-breeding ranges cover most of North America.
Find more information at the British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas here.
Similar Species
The ruby-crowned kinglet (Regulus calendula) has similar colouring and is about the same size, but lacks the black crown patch border. It also has a white eye ring rather than a white eyebrow. Only the male ruby-crowned kinglet has the bright red crown patch for which it is named, though this patch is usually not visible.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117100-Regulus-satrapa
Habitat & Range
The golden-crowned kinglet is most commonly found in coniferous forests, though occasionally can be found in mixed coniferous and deciduous forests. Its year-round range stretches from the coast of Alaska southward to the coast of northern California, and extends into some of the interior western United States. Together the year-round, breeding, and non-breeding ranges cover most of North America.
Find more information at the British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas here.
Similar Species
The ruby-crowned kinglet (Regulus calendula) has similar colouring and is about the same size, but lacks the black crown patch border. It also has a white eye ring rather than a white eyebrow. Only the male ruby-crowned kinglet has the bright red crown patch for which it is named, though this patch is usually not visible.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117100-Regulus-satrapa
Intriguing Info
A breeding pair are very busy, as the female will have two clutches of 3-11 young per breeding season. The first brood will only get fed once by its mother, but once she goes to work laying the second brood the male takes over feeding the first brood - and occasionally the mother as well. One tiny feather covers each of a golden-crowned kinglet's nostrils. The video at right shows a male golden-crowned kinglet; observe how the orange stripe in the crown can be difficult to see from all angles. |
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References
Dunn, J. L. and Alderfer, J. (Eds.). (1999). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. (3rd Ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Pp. 338-339.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online. Accessed 26/06/2013.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2013).
Dunn, J. L. and Alderfer, J. (Eds.). (1999). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. (3rd Ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Pp. 338-339.
Golden-crowned Kinglet. The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online. Accessed 26/06/2013.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2013).