Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa
Kinglet family (Regulidae)

Very small bird, 3 ½” long. Black cap with yellow crown. Orange crown patch on male is rarely seen. White eyebrow, greenish-gray back, gray below, two white wing bars.

Habitat:
Deciduous forest.

Nesting:
Does not nest in this region.

Voice:

Call is a very high-pitched series of notes, all on one pitch “tsee tsee tsee”.  Notes are similar to the Brown Creeper, but the Golden-crowned Kinglet’s call has 3 notes whereas the Brown Creeper’s call has only one note.

Name Origin:

Regulus, Latin for “little king”;
satrapa, Greek for “a ruler who wears a golden crown”

In the Nature Park:
Winter resident. Migrates north to New England and southern Canada during the nesting season. Departs in April, arrives in October. Kinglets are often found in mixed-species foraging flocks with Brown Creepers, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice.

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