Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Encyclopedia
{Taxobox
| name = Ruby-crowned Kinglet
| status = LC
| status_ref =
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| image = Regulus calendula1.jpg
| image_caption = Male in Anchorage, Alaska
| regnum = Animal
ia
| phylum = Chordata
| classis = Aves
| ordo = Passeriformes
| familia = Sylviidae
| genus = Regulus
| species = R. calendula
| binomial = Regulus calendula
| binomial_authority = (Linnaeus
, 1766)
| range_map =Regulus calendula range.png
| range_map_caption=
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, is a very small passerine
bird found throughout North America
. It is a member of the kinglet
family. The bird has olive-green plumage with two white wing bars and a white eye-ring. Males have a red crown patch, which is usually concealed. The sexes are identical (apart from the crown), and juveniles are similar in plumage to adults. It is one of the smallest songbirds in North America. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is not closely related to other kinglets, and is put in its own subgenus
, Corthylio. Three subspecies
are currently recognized.
The kinglet is migratory, and its range extends from northwest Canada and Alaska south to Mexico. Its breeding habitat is spruce-fir forests in the northern, mountain
ous, United States and Canada. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet builds a cup-shaped nest
, which may be pensile or placed on a tree branch and is often hidden. It lays up to 12 eggs, and has the largest clutch of any North American passerine for its size. It is mainly insectivorous, but also eats fruits and seeds.
Compared to the related Golden-crowned Kinglet
, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is slightly larger, more elongated, and has greener plumage. The bird can be mistaken for the Hutton's Vireo
, which also displays wing-flicking, though less frequently than the kinglet. It can also be mistaken for the Dwarf Vireo
in Mexico. However, both of the vireos are larger, have stouter bills and legs, and lack the kinglet's black bar on the wings.
, and begging calls produced by chicks.
s, but frequently given family status, especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are taxonomically remote from the warblers. The names of the family, Regulidae, and its only genus, Regulus, are derived from the Latin
regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king", and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet was first described in 1766, in the 12th edition
of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae
. Its species name means "by the month", and is shared with a genus of flower
.
As a result of its larger size, strongly red (rather than orange or yellow) crest and lack of black crown stripes, as well as its distinctive vocalisations, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is sometimes considered different enough from the Old World kinglets and the other American species, the Golden-crowned Kinglet, to be sometimes assigned to a separate genus, Corthylio.
Up to five subspecies have been recognized, but "cineraceus", breeding in montane western North America
, and "arizonensis", breeding in Arizona
, are considered to be clinal variants of the nominate subspecies. The form grinnellii, breeding from southeast Alaska
to British Columbia
differs significantly from nominate calendula, and so is considered to be represent a valid subspecies: it is smaller and shorter-winged, its upperparts are darker and greener, its underparts are buffy rather than grayish olive, and the vent is tinged yellow rather than dull whitish olive. The subspecies obscurus, from Guadalupe Island
, off Baja California
, is considered endangered, and may already be extinct.
Hybridization with Golden-crowned Kinglet
has been reported to have possibly occurred.
, Alaska
, northern New England
and the western United States
. They nest in a well-concealed hanging cup suspended from a conifer branch and may lay as many as twelve eggs in a clutch.
The recent counting indicates that the Ruby-crowned Kinglet population is on the rise. This is mainly due to discovery of less disturbed territory farther north. This allows more successful breeding.
These birds migrate
to the southern United States and Mexico
. Some birds are permanent residents in the west.
s, some berries and tree sap
. They may hover over a branch while feeding and sometimes fly out to catch insects in flight. The red crest is raised when agitated or in display. Often, they perform a "broken-wing" act to draw predators away from their nest, which they will defend fearlessly, mobbing
the intruder which may be a cat, squirrel, or human.
| name = Ruby-crowned Kinglet
| status = LC
| status_ref =
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| image = Regulus calendula1.jpg
| image_caption = Male in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
| regnum = Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
ia
| phylum = Chordata
Chordate
Chordates are animals which are either vertebrates or one of several closely related invertebrates. They are united by having, for at least some period of their life cycle, a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail...
| classis = Aves
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
| ordo = Passeriformes
| familia = Sylviidae
Sylviidae
Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...
| genus = Regulus
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
| species = R. calendula
| binomial = Regulus calendula
| binomial_authority = (Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 1766)
| range_map =Regulus calendula range.png
| range_map_caption=
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, is a very small passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird found throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is a member of the kinglet
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
family. The bird has olive-green plumage with two white wing bars and a white eye-ring. Males have a red crown patch, which is usually concealed. The sexes are identical (apart from the crown), and juveniles are similar in plumage to adults. It is one of the smallest songbirds in North America. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is not closely related to other kinglets, and is put in its own subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
, Corthylio. Three subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are currently recognized.
The kinglet is migratory, and its range extends from northwest Canada and Alaska south to Mexico. Its breeding habitat is spruce-fir forests in the northern, mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous, United States and Canada. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet builds a cup-shaped nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
, which may be pensile or placed on a tree branch and is often hidden. It lays up to 12 eggs, and has the largest clutch of any North American passerine for its size. It is mainly insectivorous, but also eats fruits and seeds.
Description
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a very small bird, being 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long, having a wingspan of 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in), and weighing 5 to 10 g (0.17636981052556 to 0.35273962105112 oz). It has gray-green upperparts and olive-buff underparts. It has two white wingbars and a broken white eye ring. The wingbar on the greater secondary coverts (closer to the wing-tip) is wider, and is next to a dark band. The kinglet has a relatively plain face and head, although the male has a scarlet-red crown patch, which is usually concealed by the surrounding feathers. The crown patch is rarely orange, yellow, or not present. Females are identical to males (except for the crown). Immature birds are similar to adult females, since young males lack a crown patch. The kinglet usually moves along branches or through foliage with short hops, and flies with bursts of rapid wing beats. It is constantly active, and is easily recognized by its characteristic wing-flicking. Its flight has been described as "swift, jerky, and erratic".Compared to the related Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black...
, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is slightly larger, more elongated, and has greener plumage. The bird can be mistaken for the Hutton's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Hutton's Vireo is a small songbird. It is approximately 5 inches in length, dull olive-gray above and below. It has a faint white eye ring and faint white wing bars. It closely resembles a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but has a thicker bill and is slightly larger in size. Its most common song is a...
, which also displays wing-flicking, though less frequently than the kinglet. It can also be mistaken for the Dwarf Vireo
Dwarf Vireo
The Dwarf Vireo is a species of bird in the Vireonidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.-References:...
in Mexico. However, both of the vireos are larger, have stouter bills and legs, and lack the kinglet's black bar on the wings.
Vocalization
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet's vocalizations are remarkably loud and complex for its size. Its song can be divided into three main parts: a series of high pitched notes (zee-zee-zee or tee-tee-tee), two to five low trills (turr or tu), and a repeated three note "galloping" phrase (tee-da-leet, tee-da-leet). However, there is variation in the songs of a given individual, and they often contain only one or two of the three parts. The third part is only sung by male birds; an abbreviated version is heard from the females. Other vocalizations of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet include alarm calls, simple contact callsContact calls
Seemingly haphazard sounds made by many social animals are known as contact calls. Contact calls are very different from many other types of calls , as contact calls are not a specific signal, designed to communicate some specific information...
, and begging calls produced by chicks.
Taxonomy
The kinglets are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblerOld World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s, but frequently given family status, especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are taxonomically remote from the warblers. The names of the family, Regulidae, and its only genus, Regulus, are derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king", and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet was first described in 1766, in the 12th edition
12th edition of Systema Naturae
The 12th edition of was the last edition of to be overseen by its author, Carl Linnaeus. It was published in three volumes, with parts appearing from 1766 to 1768...
of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae
Systema Naturae
The book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
. Its species name means "by the month", and is shared with a genus of flower
Calendula
Calendula , pot marigold, is a genus of about 12–20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean region to Iran...
.
As a result of its larger size, strongly red (rather than orange or yellow) crest and lack of black crown stripes, as well as its distinctive vocalisations, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is sometimes considered different enough from the Old World kinglets and the other American species, the Golden-crowned Kinglet, to be sometimes assigned to a separate genus, Corthylio.
Up to five subspecies have been recognized, but "cineraceus", breeding in montane western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and "arizonensis", breeding in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, are considered to be clinal variants of the nominate subspecies. The form grinnellii, breeding from southeast Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
differs significantly from nominate calendula, and so is considered to be represent a valid subspecies: it is smaller and shorter-winged, its upperparts are darker and greener, its underparts are buffy rather than grayish olive, and the vent is tinged yellow rather than dull whitish olive. The subspecies obscurus, from Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island, or Isla Guadalupe is a volcanic island located 241 kilometers off the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and some 400 kilometers southwest of the city of Ensenada in Baja California state, in the Pacific Ocean...
, off Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, is considered endangered, and may already be extinct.
Hybridization with Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black...
has been reported to have possibly occurred.
Distribution and habitat
Their breeding habitat is coniferous forests across CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They nest in a well-concealed hanging cup suspended from a conifer branch and may lay as many as twelve eggs in a clutch.
The recent counting indicates that the Ruby-crowned Kinglet population is on the rise. This is mainly due to discovery of less disturbed territory farther north. This allows more successful breeding.
These birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to the southern United States and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Some birds are permanent residents in the west.
Behaviour
Ruby-crowned Kinglets forage actively in trees or shrubs, mainly eating small insects and spiderSpider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, some berries and tree sap
Sap
Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Sap , a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia...
. They may hover over a branch while feeding and sometimes fly out to catch insects in flight. The red crest is raised when agitated or in display. Often, they perform a "broken-wing" act to draw predators away from their nest, which they will defend fearlessly, mobbing
Mobbing
Mobbing in the context of human beings either means bullying of an individual by a group in any context. Identified as emotional abuse in the workplace, such as "ganging up" by co-workers, subordinates or superiors, to force someone out of the workplace through rumor, innuendo, intimidation,...
the intruder which may be a cat, squirrel, or human.
External links
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter