There are two varieties of Kinglets in this section of the country, the Golden-crowned and the Ruby-crowned. Both members of the family are beautiful little birds that visit us in autumn and depart in the spring. They are not with us during the warmer months. In the coldest time of the year these little, restless wanderers among the trees may be seen and heard. Except for the Humming-bird and the Winter Wren, the Kinglets are the smallest birds that we have.

The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

The male bird may be identified by the partly concealed tiny crest of red which the bird often raises.

The Golden-Crowned Kinglet

A crest of gold marks this cousin of the Ruby-crowned. Often no color is visible upon the head except the uniform olive or greenish tinge. However, when the bird is excited, the crest is raised and it is then that the color of the crown may be very well seen.

Habits: The Kinglets are friendly birds that often come very near. They seem to be much more tame than the warblers.

Food: A constant search for tiny insects occupies the time of the Kinglets.

Song: The Ruby-crown is the superior singer of the two. His song consists of a loud, clear warble, interrupted here and there with a wren-like chatter. The Golden-crown’s song may be expressed as “tzze, tzze, tzze, tzze, ti, ti, tir, t-t-t-.” The call note is an extremely high-pitched “ti-ti.”

Nest: The roundish nests of the Kinglets are made of moss, thin strips of inner bark, feathers and other like materials. These nests are made in evergreen trees and are sometimes placed as high as sixty feet above the ground.