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Golden-crowned Kinglet
(Regulus satrapa)
Banded October 20, 2001
Carmel, Indiana
General Information
The petite Kinglets are among the smallest of our native
birds. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet and the Golden-crowned Kinglet are the only
two species that occur in North America, and they are common in all but the
coldest regions of North America. They are related and similar to the
Goldcrest and Firecrest of the Old World. They breed across the coniferous
forests of Alaska, Canada and the Rocky Mountains of the US, and winter in
the US and into Central America.
There is much to learn about the Kinglets, especially how,
despite their small size, they survive and thrive in cold northern climates
where days are short, nights are long, and temperatures may dip to -30° F.
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Side by side, the two species
of North American Kinglets are easy to distinguish. The Golden-crowned
Kinglet (left) has the bold black and white striped facial pattern and gold
crown patch. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet (right) has a plain facial pattern,
bold eye ring, and a red crown patch that is often hidden.
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Figure 1 - Kinglets side by side
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Figure 2 - Golden-crowned Kinglet
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Except for the hummingbirds,
the Golden-crowned Kinglet is one of the smallest of our native birds. It is
only 3.25 to 4.25 inches long with a wingspan of 6.5 to 7 inches and a
weight of 5.3 to 5.8 grams. They are an exceedingly tame bird, often
entering human habitations and allowing themselves to be picked up or
stroked.
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The
Golden-crowned Kinglet has a strong facial pattern of dark and white
stripes, and a black bill. In appearance, it looks very much like its
European cousin, the European Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus).
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Figure 3 - Golden-crowned Kinglet
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Figure 4 - Golden-crowned Kinglet
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Overall, the Golden-crowned
Kinglet is olive green above and pale below. The yellow on the flight and
tail feathers is readily observed in the field. Its outstanding field mark
is its crown patch (orange in the male, gold in the female).
The gold crown patch gives it its Latin name Satrapa,
meaning a ruler, or one wearing a golden crown.
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The wing has two whitish wing
bars and yellow edging to the flight feathers.
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Figure 5 - Golden-crowned Kinglet wing
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Figure 6 - Golden-crowned Kinglet upper wing
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The wing is darkish with
whitish wing bars and yellow edging to the flight feathers.
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Kinglets have 10 primary flight
feathers, but the 10th primary flight feather, shown at the top of this
photo, is reduced.
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Figure 7 - Reduced 10th Primary Flight Feather
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Nesting Behavior
Golden-crowned Kinglets nest in northern conifer woodlands, often in
dense stands of spruce. The female builds a deep, globular cup nest of moss,
lichens, fine grasses and pine needles in a conifer tree from 6 to 50 feet
up. From 5 to 10 eggs, incubated by the female, hatch in about two weeks.
Both parents tend the young, who leave the nest in about 17 days.
Banding Recoveries
According to the web page of the Bird Banding Lab, a total of 188,202
Golden-crowned Kinglets were banded between 1955 and 2000. Of these, only 69
have been encountered, an encounter rate of 0.036%.
If you should recover a banded bird, you can report the band number to
the Bird Banding Lab by calling 1-800-327-BAND.
Economic Importance and Conservation Status
Golden-crowned Kinglets are important predators on insects and their
eggs, especially in coniferous forests. Insect foods consist of aphids, bark
beetles, scale insects and other insects found in coniferous trees. Although
their food consists primarily of insects, their diet also includes some tree
sap.
Breeding Bird and Christmas Bird counts indicate that populations trends
for this species are increasing. These birds and other species that breed in
the far north where habitats are less disturbed experience greater nest
success.
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