Tiny monarchs: Ruby-crowned Kinglets
One of the smallest birds on our Oredson-Todd Woods and Rogue River Preserve bird lists, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a tiny migratory songbird that graces Southern Oregon’s forests in the fall and winter.
They breed to the North of our region, nesting high in trees. They build nests up to 100’ off the ground with a preference for older, denser stands of evergreens. In the wintertime and when migrating, however, they’ll frequent shrubby landscapes found in wilderness, parks, and urban areas alike—including Oredson-Todd Woods and the Rogue River Preserve. They hover and peck at their preferred insect foods high up in trees and closer to the ground. Watch for their quick-moving acrobatics and flicking wings. They’ll also eat berries, like those that persist through the winter on poison-oak, and they’ll visit backyard bird feeders, but they rarely forage on the ground.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet’s eponymous bright red crown belongs exclusively to the males of the species, and can be hard to spot. It lays flat and hidden except when the birds are excited. Instead, look for a white eye ring and the bird’s diminutive size as keys for identification. Also look for an olive-green head and shoulders, yellow edges on the wing and tail feathers, and a white wing bar. You may also hear the long and surprisingly loud songs these little birds sing to establish their territory.
At the Oredson-Todd Woods and around town, keep an eye out for these little monarchs in fall and winter. Year-round, look for their relatives, the Golden-crowned Kinglets, who make their home here in Southern Oregon.
Thanks to Frank Lospalluto for these pictures of Ruby-crowned Kinglets!
