Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Scientific Name:
Regulus calendula
Type:
Bird
Habitat:
Variety of habitats including forests and riparian areas
Range:
North America
Status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Ruby-crowned kinglets are very small birds, even smaller than chickadees. They have olive greenish-gray feathers and the male will have a small patch of ruby-colored feathers at the top of his head that may be difficult to see. Ruby-crowned kinglets will also have a white stripe of feathers on their wings. During the winter months, when they are living in lower thickets, they are easier to spot as they move quickly and are observed to constantly flick their wings.
Fast Facts:
Females build nests that may include construction with spider webs, feathers, and animal hair. Their nests have elasticity to accommodate for the growth of the hatchlings.
Nests have been known to be as high as 100 feet in very tall trees.
Ruby-crowned kinglets live in a variety of habitats that may vary seasonally. The average height of their nests is forty feet above the ground, usually in a conifer type of tree. However, these birds are also found in lower thickets, including around water. Ruby-crowned kinglets will eat spiders, insects, and berries from their varied environments.
These birds are known to breed in the Truckee Meadows, and may winter here also.
Ruby-crowned kinglets have been spotted in parks and along the Truckee River in the northwestern parts of Reno (including Caughlin Ranch), and in the North Valleys around Swan Lake.
Sources:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds, Ruby-crowned kinglet overview, website, 2021. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet
Audubon, Field Guide to North American Birds, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, website, 2021. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/ruby-crowned-kinglet
IUCN Red List, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, last assessed 2016. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22712567/94337029
Image: Nigel, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruby-crowned_Kinglet_by_Nigel_cropped.jpg, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en, cropped from original.
Contributor(s):
Caron Tayloe (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)