Ruby-Crowned Kinglets are energetic little birds. During the breeding season, you can spot them in coniferous forests, “flicking” their tails as they bounce from perch to perch. During the migration season, you can find them in other habitats as well, including suburban areas and deciduous and mixed forests.

The most vibrant and noticeable feature of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is their namesake crown. But females don’t display it, and males only do when they are excited or agitated. Ruby-crowned Kinglets are olive green. Their wings are dark, and they have black and white wing bars. They have a white eye ring, but it is often incomplete or unevenly spaced. Their undersides are slightly brighter.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are the smallest species we regularly catch at Creamer’s Field Migration Station. At about 6-7 grams, they weigh little more than a 5 gram nickel! Since 1992, we have caught about 2,500 kinglets.