Kinglet Identification

These tiny birds are able to feed on the very tips of conifer branches. They resemble warblers and vireos, but are smaller and have short, forked tails. Kinglet movements are brisk and continuous. For us at American Bird Guide, the easiest way to identify Ruby-Crowned Kinglets is by the distinctive white eye ring because the ruby patch on the head is often not visible.

Good bird watching binoculars can help you to see this, but it is often a matter of watching the bird in the correct light. That flash of color is quite memorable and hummingbird-like when you do see it.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglets are wary of people, but they are also inquisitive. We knew of one bold little fellow who was so intrigued by either his own reflection or the interior of our house that he knocked on the window pane each and every morning. Ruby-Crowned Kinglets lay five to ten cream colored, speckled eggs in a woven nest.

The close relative of the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is the Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa). It is slightly smaller, with a black bordered, golden crown. It inhabits the entire United States and where its' territory overlaps with the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, the two types of birds may be seen flocking together.