Constantly in motion and tiny to begin with, the
Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a challenge to capture in pictures.
Given their preference for the tallest trees, finding one
near the ground is a lucky find.
This is a male.
You can tell by the tiny red line on the top of his head. It is a crest, but only when he wants
it to be and that’s usually when he’s agitated. He appeared to be agitated this day with a continuous
flicking of his wings combined with a constant bouncing from twig to twig, but
evidently he wasn’t. On this warm day in October, he kept his red crest closed
and almost completely out of sight.
I’m not sure what it takes to agitate a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but I
didn’t meet that standard this day.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are insect-eaters, preying mainly on
spiders, wasps, aphids and ants.
The female can lay 5-12 small eggs (0.02 oz) with a combined weight that
out-weighs the female herself, according to the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. That’s quite an
accomplishment for a 0.2-0.4 ounce bird.
Allan
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