Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Description:

We call these winter Texans. Very tiny songbirds; only 9 to 11 cm in length (3.5 to 4.3 inches). Why, they're no bigger than some hummingbirds! Straight bill, no neck, with seemingly large head. I was at Lost Maples in the hill country of Texas and spotted these flying around a small pond. They are very erratic, jerky, and fast. It was so hard to take a photo of them. (For me anyway.) They are a pretty olive gray color with white rings around their eyes. Females and males are identical except for a ruby patch on adult males, which is seldom seen. However, I did see one but couldn't get a pic.

Habitat:

Woodlands, thickets, dense foliage where there are plenty of insects, seeds, and berries. Ruby- crowned Kinglets generally arrive as fall migrants and winter residents in Texas in mid-September and depart for the north by early May.

Notes:

This is not a Vireo. Vireo are mistaken for Ruby-crowned Kinglets often. Vireos are larger, have stouter bills and legs, and lack the Kinglet's black bar on the wings.