THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 



{Regulus satrapa. ) 



The autumn wanes, and kinglets go, 



Sweet-voiced and knightly in their way, 

 And all the birds our summers know. 



They flock and leave us day by day. 



— Frank H. Sweet, "Flocking of the Birds." 



In these pleasing words the poet speaks 

 of the kinglets. Yet his words may hard- 

 ly apply to the Golden-crowned Kinglet, 

 except in the northernmost part of its 

 range, for it winters from the northern 

 border of the United States southward to 

 the Gulf of Mexico. ''Muffled in its thick 

 coat of feathers, the diminutive Goldcrest 

 braves our severest winters, living evi- 

 dence that, given an abimdance of food, 

 temperature is a secondary factor in a 

 bird's existence." 



But little larger than a hummingbird, 

 though unlike that mite of bird life, it 

 seeks in the cooler air of northern climes 

 a place for its nest. It also breeds 

 throughout the length of the Rocky 

 Mountains and in the Alleghanies as far 

 south as North Carolina. 



This tiny and "charming sylvan orna- 

 ment," both elegant in dress and graceful 

 in m.ovement, is one of the seven known 

 species of kinglets, of which there are 

 but three that frequent the New World. 

 It is very active while searching for its 

 food. Its colors are such that, as it moves 

 from twig to twig hunting for insects 

 among the leaves, it is frequently hard to 

 locate tliough its voice may be heard 

 among the tree tops. 



Truly the name kinglet — little king — is 

 not a misnomer, for the Golden-crown 

 exhibits a decided character in every mo- 

 tion. It is fearless and though it will 

 occasionally scold an intruder, wren-like, 

 it docs not usually resent the presence of 

 man. Often in the forest or even in our 

 city parks a Golden-crowned Kinglet will 

 flash by one's face and, dropping to the 

 ground, seize an insert or worm that its 

 ljrij[;lit eyes have! detected in tlic grass, 

 even at one's feet. 



Speaking of interesting phases of bird 

 Hfe, Mr. Keyser says, ''On the same day 

 my dancing dot in feathers, the Golden- 

 crowned Kinglet, performed one of his 

 favorite tricks, which is not often de- 

 scribed in the books. You will remem- 

 ber that in the center of the yellow crown- 

 patch of the males, there is a gleaming 

 golden speck, visible only when you look 

 at him closely. But when the little beau 

 is in a particularly rollicksome mood, or 

 wants to display his gem to his mate or 

 kindred, he elevates and spreads out the 

 feathers of his crest, and lo ! a transfonn- 

 ation. The whole crown becomes gold- 

 en! That gleaming speck expands until 

 it completely hides the 3''ellow and black 

 of the crown." May we not say with Mr. 

 and Mrs. Grinnell that Mr. Golden-crown 

 lifts his hat to Mrs. Golden-crown ? We 

 inay learn patience and to be satisfied 

 with nature as we find it, if we will study 

 the life of the Golden-crown. It is always 

 happy, always cheerful. Seemingly it 

 flies from bough to bough as contentedly 

 in the rain as in the sunshine and in cold 

 as well as iti warm weather. In many 

 respects this kinglet resembles the warb- 

 lers, but it is much tamer. While seeking 

 its food it exhibits some of the character- 

 istics of the flycatchers. 



Mr. Brewster describes its song as be- 

 ginning "with a succession of five or six 

 fine, shrill, high-pitched, somewhat falter- 

 ing notes, and ending with a short, rapid, 

 rather explosive warble. The opening- 

 notes are given in a rising key, but the 

 song falls rapidly at the end. The whole 

 may be expressed as follows : Tzee, tzee, 

 tzee, tzee, ti, ti, ler. ti-ti-ti-ti." Its call note 

 is simply ti-ti uttered in a fine and well 

 niochilated voice that is scarcely audible. 



