THE RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 



Old World Warbler Family — Sylviidce 



Length: A little over 4l/4 inches. 



Male: Olive-green above, buff underneath, a ruby-red crown; 

 wings brown, edged with olive-green; two light wing- 

 bars; tail brown, forked. 



Female: Similar to male, but lacking the red crown. The fe- 

 males resemble tiny warblers in appearance. 



Note: A sharp scolding-note. 



Song: A wonderful song, — full, loud, and indescribably beau- 

 tiful. It is hard to believe that so finished and re- 

 markable a song could come from so small a bird. 



Habitat: Woods, thickets, and orchards. Kinglets are usually 

 seen near the ends of branches. 



Range: Northern North America. Breeds in the tree-regions 

 of southern Canada, southern Alaska, and the higher 

 mountains of the western United States. 



LIKE many of the warblers, the Ruby-crowned King- 

 let is a spring and fall migrant, and its arrival 

 is therefore of especial interest. It excels most of the 

 warblers in its power of song, and is even more agile 

 than they. 



In Bulletin 513 of the Biological Survey is the follow- 

 ing description of the Ruby-crown: "In habits and 

 haunts this tiny sprite resembles a chickadee. It is an 

 active, nervous little creature, flitting hither and yon in 

 search of food, and in spring stopping only long enough 

 to utter its beautiful song, surprisingly loud for the size 

 of the musician. Three-fourths of its food consists of 



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