Feather Focus : Golden-crowned Kinglet

This tiny bird is a mere 4" long on average. Although it is similar to the Ruby-crowned Kinglet its distinctive golden crown (females have a golden crown with a black border) makes it easy to differentiate. It also has white marks near its eyebrow and white bar-like markings on its wings.

The females build a nest that hangs down like a pendulum made from moss, spiderwebs and lichens. They also lay an unusually large amount of eggs (from 5 to 9) and have a short incubation period of about two weeks. 

The Kinglet feeds on a diet of insects, fruit and tree sap. Some migrate south but most Kinglets in Southeastern Alaska stick it out for the winters. Try to spot this friendly little bird on your next "twitching" adventure. 

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