KINGLETS 



(749) Regulus calendula calen= 

 dula 



(Lhiii.) 



RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 

 Ad. 6^ — Plumage as shown; crown 

 with a partly concealed crest patch 

 of bright red; upper parts grayish- 

 olive-green, brightest on the rump; 

 two dull whitish wing bars. Ad. 9 

 a7td Im. — Similar but lacking the red 

 patch on crown. L., 4.30; W., 2.20; 

 T., 1.7s; B., .25. Nesi — A ball of 

 moss, grass and feathers, very deeply 

 cupped to hold the five to nine eggs, 

 which are whitish, rather sparingly 

 marked with brown, .55 x .43. 



Range — Breeds in boreal zones 

 from Ungava, Keewatin and Alaska 

 south to N. S., Ont., and in the Rocky 

 Mountains to Ariz. Winters in the 

 southern half of the U. S. 



something like those of Brown Creepers which, by the way, 

 frequently keep in company with them during winter, a 

 queer combination of vivacity and slowness. 



RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS are remarkable little 

 birds, not as handsome as the last species because the bright 

 scarlet coronal patch is concealed except when the little sprite 

 wishes to show it. This gives their plumage a dull, uninter- 

 esting appearance which, however, is more than counter- 

 acted by the actions of the tiny creatures. Many of our 

 larger birds have very weak voices, make disagreeable squawks 

 or have no songs at all; yet this little Kinglet, one of the 

 smallest of birds, has one of the sweetest of bird songs — 

 loud, clear, and varied, a passionate twanging warble that is 

 impossible to describe and that is almost beyond belief as 

 coming from such a tiny throat. Many a person is mysti- 

 fied when trying to discover the author of this song, for they 

 are usually looking for a bird several times its size. As they 

 are most often found in coniferous trees, they are quite diffi- 



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