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Project Noah Nature School
Regulus calendula
This ruby-crowned kinglet was hiding in a pine tree. A small, tear-drop-shaped green-to-gray bird with 2 white wing bars and a hidden ruby crown (not seen in this spotting). Has white eye ring. The female is same as male but lacks the ruby crown. This may be the female but not sure.
This ruby-crowned kinglet was hiding in a marsh pine tree at Assateague Island National Seashore in Berlin, Maryland.
No problem! Kinglets are definitely no exception to that, they never stop moving! I've only ever seen the ruby "crown" twice, they usually only display it when they are angry at something. Not like the golden-crowned kinglet that always has it showing!
Thanks Ashley for your expertise on identifying this bird. I would have never guessed a ruby-crowned kinglet because did not see the red spot on head. There are lots of birds on Assateague Island and very hard to get their pictures because they are constantly moving in and out of the pine trees and marsh grasses. Thanks so much for your help and I will make the change.
A pine warbler would have a very yellow head and chest and two prominent wing bars. Your bird has neither of those. Things that tell you this is a ruby-crowned kinglet: broken eye ring, very round and tiny body, tiny bill, wing bar with a black patch below it, and yellow streaks on the wings.
Spotted on Oct 18, 2014
Submitted on Oct 20, 2014
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