EASTERN RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 409 



short phrases, resembling somewhat the fall song of a young song 

 sparrow, but having a suggestion of the full song of its own species." 



The ruby-crowned kinglet's song period is spread out, more or less 

 continuously, from early in spring until quite late in fall, with some 

 cessation during the period of greatest nesting activity and during the 

 molting season. It sings during both migrations, but much more 

 frequently and more fully in spring; the fall songs are not so regularly 

 heard and are more fragmentary. In Frederic H. Kennard's notes, I 

 find records of the song as early as March 27 and as late as October 

 16 in Massachusetts. Arthur T. Wayne (1910) says that the song 

 period in South Carolina begins early in April, and that "when engaged 

 in singing, the males display the vermilion patch on the crown." 

 Mr. Saunders tells me that he has heard the song from migrating 

 birds only in April or early May, or more rarely in October or Novem- 

 ber. Mr. Todd (1940) says, referring to western Pennsylvania: 

 "After the first few days of May this song is seldom heard, since the 

 later migrants are all females. These have only an odd chattering, 

 snapping, scolding note, which, once learned, will always serve to 

 distinguish this kinglet from the Golden-crowned species." 



Field marks, — If the bright-red crown patch of the male can be 

 seen, it is a positive field mark; but it is often partially, or wholly, 

 concealed by the surrounding plumage; and it is not present at all 

 on the female or the young bird. If no crown patch is seen, and the 

 bird is a kinglet, it is a ruby crown, for the crown patch shows con- 

 spicuously in both adult sexes of the golden- crowned kinglet. More- 

 over, the ruby-crowned kinglet has a conspicuous white eye ring, 

 which the other species lacks. An eye ring is somewhat in evidence 

 in some of the small flycatchers, but these are mostly larger than 

 kinglets and behave differently. If a bird is seen sitting quietly in an 

 upright position, it is a flycatcher and not a kinglet ; if flitting actively 

 about, almost constantly in motion, it is more likely to be a kinglet; 

 kinglets are tiny, plump little birds clad in olive and buffy gray plum- 



Enemies. — The ruby-crowned kinglet is a very rare victim of the 

 cowbird; Dr. Friedmann (1929) could find but one record. Harold S. 

 Peters (1936) records one fly, Ornithomyia confluenta Say, and one tick, 

 Haemaphysalis leporis-palustris Packard, as external parasites on the 

 eastern ruby-crowned kinglet. 



Winter. — Although most of the ruby-crowned kinglets go far south 

 in winter, ranging as far as Mexico and Guatemala, some spend the 

 winter as far north as southern British Columbia, Iowa, and Virginia 

 more or less regularly; there are a number of records for Massachu- 

 setts, and Mr. Tufts tells me that several came to a feeding station at 

 Digby, Nova Scotia, in January 1941. 



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