BUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 591 



The Ruby-crowned Kinglet lacks the sociable attribute of the Golden- 

 crown. During the nesting season the pairs give close attention to the 

 rearing of their broods, but as soon as the young are able to live inde- 

 pendently the families break up and each individual takes up a separate 

 existence. While in the foothill and valley country, the Euby-crowns are 

 to be seen singly, each keeping to a particular forage area and usually 

 resisting approach by another of the same species. When something 

 excites one of their kind, however, other individuals are quick to gather 

 and all unite in a community of effort until the object of their concern 

 has disappeared. Then each kinglet goes its way alone once more. 



The Ruby-crowned Kinglet shows considerable latitude in its food- 

 getting activities. Its normal forage beat is about the terminal foliage 

 of trees, in the mountain conifers during the summer time, and around 

 the foothill and valley oaks in the winter season. Other trees than ever- 

 greens are patronized, however. Absolutely leafless willows and alders 

 in the dormancy of winter time are resorted to commonly. When search- 

 ing the twigs of these in their usual fidgety manner the kinglets expose 

 themselves much more prominently to view than at other times. Fre- 

 quently a Ruby-crown will drop into the lower bushes for a time. Wher- 

 ever the bird forages it usually stays in the outer zone of foliage, darting 

 in and out in the way of an Audubon Warbler. At times a kinglet will 

 fly out and capture insects passing in the open air, and now and then one 

 of the birds will drop down to the greensward beneath a tree and skip 

 or flutter along from place to place, clinging to the grass blades in such 

 a way that it stands up out of contact with them in so far as is possible. 

 At El Portal a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen to poise on hovering wings 

 to drink sap oozing from some fresh punctures which had been made by 

 a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the bark of a golden oak. 



Much is to be heard in the way of either song or call notes from the 

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet at all seasons of the year. The song season com- 

 mences early in the spring, the birds sometimes being in full voice before 

 they leave the lowlands; and complete songs are to be heard until as late 

 a,s the first of July. In the fall, after the molt has been accomplished, 

 the kinglets sometimes break forth in song once more, though it is not 

 usually complete at that season. The song is distinctive, and easily recog- 

 nized among all other bird voices. One portion of it is a clear and musical 

 whistled utterance of surprising loudness for a bird which weighs less than 

 a quarter of an ounce (6.2 grams). Two syllabifications of the complete 

 song are as follows : see, see, see, oh, oh, oh, property, property, property, 

 and si-si-si, o, oh-oh, cheerily, cheerily, cheerily. The beginning notes are 

 attenuated, high-pitched, and, together with the low-pitched middle group, 

 are of a quality that renders them inaudible beyond a few yards. The 



