Ruby-crowned Kinglets are small birds, smaller than a warbler or a chickadee. The males have a patch of red feathers at the top of their heads. However that flash of red isn't often seen. Michael Reinhart recently photographed a male showing off those dramatically-colored feathers.
Notice the yellow toes! These birds constantly flick their wings, giving you a clue as to what you are seeing. Their calls are quite distinctive too. You can listen at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/sounds
Thanks to Michael for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
ooo, we are going to have a big, wet, wonderful storm today and tomorrow. We need it, that's for sure. It's also turned quite cold - cold for the North Coast, that is. It's only 45 degrees at noon today.
Anne Mary Schaefer
Thank you! I was just enjoying this rainy day when suddenly my garden was filled with quite a few varieties of bird species. Three of which were very tiny birds indeed. Somewhere between a Hummingbird and a Sparrow in size. I noticed a stripe on their wing tips, a smooth grey head on two of them, but I thought I saw a red flash on the third bird as it flitted into the bracken, and thanks to your blog today, I now know that they were Ruby-Crowned Kinglets! How fortuitous and timely as I JUST saw them for the first time today. Quite a cute little bird indeed. I'll have to look for their yellow toes as I didn't notice that as they were flitting in the freshly mowed grass. Thanks again, Jeanne!
Jeanne Jackson
Post authorRick and I saw one working our Japanese maple tree yesterday...in the rain!