Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
DescriptionThe Golden-crowned Kinglet is named from the Latin word rex and Greek word satrapes meaning a king wearing a golden crown. This tiny bird often "flicks" its wings as it rapidly moves around a tree searching for insects and larvae. This kinglet often associates in groups with other birds, such as Ruby-crowned Kinglets, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, and Brown Creepers.
Grayish-olive upperparts. Whitish underparts. Black crown with yellow stripe down the center. Adult males have an orange patch down the center of the yellow crown stripe. Black eyeline and mustache. White supercilium. Has white wing bars and yellow edges to flight feathers and tail. Small, black, thin bill. 3.5 to 4 inches in length.
Conifer and mixed forests. Also thickets in winter.
Nesting8-9 cream colored eggs with brown specks and a 14-15 day incubation period. Fledging occurs 14-19 days after hatching. The nest is a small, feather lined, globular cup built on top of a mass of moss, lichens, and plant down. It is suspended between several twigs in a dense conifer, and is built 5 to 60 feet above the ground. The young do not develop the yellow-orange crowns until late summer.
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