Golden-Crowned Kinglets

My Fall 2021 obsession is these small, flighty birds known as golden-crowned kinglets. Unfortunately, I have only been able to get one decent photo, but hopefully, with time, there will be more.

Quick Facts

Latin Name: Regulus satrapa
Size: 8cm – 11cm (3.1in – 4.3in)
Lifespan: Up to 6 years

Finding Golden-Crowned Kinglets

In my experience, golden-crowned kinglets are heard before they’re seen. Listen for a very high-pitched tweet, which to me almost sounds similar to that of the brown creeper, another small local bird. You can listen to their sound through the Merlin Bird App.

These birds primarily seek out coniferous forests of North America, but during the Fall and Winter they seem a little bit less picky and I have seen them in mixed growth as well as deciduous forests.

Often, but not always, I find them in mixed flocks with black-capped chickadees.

Behaviour

One of the reasons I have only gotten one photo of this bird is that they are always on the move. While they might stay in the same general area, they are always going from tree to tree. They will often briefly hover in place to catch insects and then they’re off again. They also tend to stay higher in the trees, which is not the best angle for the camera.