Start watching for the pugnacious ruby-crowned kinglet in Charlotte
It is about this time of year that I start getting inquiries about an unfamiliar little bird appearing at area feeders. The description is of a very small, greenish bird that is usually attracted to suet, and will also get agitated at its reflection in a window. Sometimes the description will include a red patch on the crown of the head. It’s a ruby-crowned kinglet; one of the tiniest and most pugnacious of our winter birds.
When I lead birding walks kinglets are among the easiest birds to see. They are extremely inquisitive, often approaching to just a few feet from the group. Sometimes binoculars are useless. They are so close it is easier just to use the naked eye to enjoy them. I have had them hover a few inches from my face as they try to figure out what has invaded their patch of ground.
Only the males have the ruby crown and if the bird is not too agitated it may be almost invisible. If the excitement builds suddenly the head becomes topped with a fiery red crest. By now the bird is likely giving a dry, Morse Code-like scolding and nervously flitting its wings. The presence of a white eye ring gives them a wide-eyed look that makes them appear even more excited.
Ruby-crowned kinglets are quite common winter residents that arrive in October and depart by early May. The forage in brush piles, tall weedy fields, and woodlands with a dense shrub understory. They are largely insectivorous but will start to visit feeders as insects dwindle by mid-winter. With the mild weather continuing this winter they may be able to get by with fewer feeder visits but I have gotten several reports from feeder watchers.
By late winter as temperatures warm the males begin to sing their high pitched songs that descend into a rollicking warble. I find it to be quite pleasing to the ear.
We also have the golden-crowned kinglet as a winter resident. They are just as tiny but tend to stay a bit higher in the trees and tend to show a more pronounced penchant for pine woods. They tend to not visit feeders in our area unless there is unusually cold, unsettled weather.
Taylor Piephoff is a naturalist with an interest in the birds and wildlife of the southern Piedmont: PiephoffT@aol.com.
This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Start watching for the pugnacious ruby-crowned kinglet in Charlotte."