365 Urban species. #351: Golden-crowned Kinglet

[urbpan]

Photos by cottonmanifesto. Location: Leverett Park.

Urban species #351: Golden-crowned kinglet
The golden-crowned kinglet is one of those urban species that you aren't likely to find unless you are looking for it. Most people, even if they were enjoying a walk through a wooded city park, surrounded by tiny birds flitting all about them, might not know what the little birds were. In Boston they would most likely be chickadees or titmice; but there's a chance that they might be kinglets. There are half a dozen species of kinglets, all found in the northern hemisphere, and as a group they are the smallest songbirds on earth. They weigh about 5 and a half grams each. Golden-crowned kinglets move in disorganized groups through dense shrubbery and the branches of conifers, picking spiders and mites, and insect eggs and larvae off of the needles, buds and leaves. They prefer a habitat of mixed spruce and other trees, and construct nests concealed in the thick foliage at the top of fir or spruce. They may be drawn to Christmas tree farms for feeding, but the trees are too small for them to nest in. Their range is expanding in many parts of North America, due to the widespread planting of blue spruce and especially Norway spruce.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

These kinglets are my new favorites. They are so tiny as to be practically invisible, but once you find them they are gorgeous. and as Cotton says, they are total spazzes. They're wonderful.

I find that after a few minutes of standing still they sort of forget you're there and maybe even approach you a little out of curiously. of course, I still can't get pictures as good as Cottonmanifesto's. There are a couple on my flickr page, here
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=kinglet&w=31716688%40N00

by the way, Cotton, I think I saw you walking around Wards that day!

gribley
http://kittlybenders.blogspot.com

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

oh, i love this one!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gribley/306986169/

were you the guy standing near the sinkhole looking out at the beach area of the pond? and also watching the red tail fly around?

[(Anonymous)]

yes, that was me. how did you know??

That red tail was fantastic. He flew right over my head at one point -- unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. Recently I have learned that when a whole bunch of birds all take off and fly away at the same time, if you look where they're flying away from, you'll see a hawk. It only took me a few decades of messing around in the woods to figure that out :-p

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

i guessed? :)

i saw it fly over your head - you pointed at it. you said hi to me, dude!