If you enjoyed the video. Liking, Leaving a comment, or sharing it on Facebook, Twitter etc. helps out in a HUGE way. From myself and my bird buddies, thank you ALL for watching. It's greatly appreciated!
I wish I could see this cute bird in person! Thank you for your videos of this bird, & great job keeping up with him in the branches, it is very difficult. I hope I can see him near the gulf coast of north america some time.
I live in GA and just noticed one hanging around my area in the winter. I was so happy to see the crest of a little kinglet. I thought he was challenging me, but seems he had a difference with his reflection. 😂 I immediately had to look him up. I didn't know they only live 4 yrs and interesting to find out they hover. I hope my little Ruby comes to visit me again next winter.
I saw a golden-crowned kinglet on a walk in the woods this march, It was singing and showing me it's colourful crown; this is what got me into birding.
Then it is your "spark bird"! Mine was a male Northern Flicker (yellow shafted) that pushed me into getting a good pair of binoculars. I had been contributing to Cornell Bird, National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy for many years. All along I cared about birds, but commuted to work and had little time to pursue it as a hobby. Now retired, I am truly enjoying it.
I am retired and finally have time to be part of Cornell Bird Labs Project FeederWatch. After a snowstorm I was doing the first day of my "watch" and saw this little olive bird next to a Chickadee. I grabbed my compact binoculars to better see its field marks. I searched and finally found that this was a Ruby Crowned Kinglet. I was thrilled, having never seen one before. I just had a feeling you would have done a video of this bird. Thank you so much for this! This kind of experience is what keeps us birdwatching and intensifies our love for it. I did my figures for the count the next day and realized that my feeders had nourished a minimum of 44 birds of 16 different species at a time e when the ground was covered with 8 inches of snow . This is a very satisfying hobby!
Oh! I saw and recorded a ruby-crowned kinglet today while hiking up Mt. Lolo in Montana. Fires passed over the slopes here maybe four years ago (see the 'Lolo Peak Fire' entry on Wikipedia') so most of the old spruce and fir forest is gone -- I saw mountain bluebirds, western tanagers, juncos, and three-toed woodpeckers in the burned-over areas but very little else. About halfway up there's a small island of the old forest left: it was very quiet at the edge of the green area so I stopped for a second and 'pished' to see what'd come. Within thirty seconds I got a gray jay, a townsend's solitaire, a Swainson's thrush, two black-capped chickadees and -- a ruby-crowned kinglet! He looked me over pretty carefully, hopping from branch to branch about five feet away, and then very unexpectedly started singing at full volume -- ! These birds pass through my area in southern Maine by the end of April (they arrive while the ponds are still iced-over and usually before the spring peepers wake up), and I hear them up in Baxter SP by mid-May. Without them the local woods just feel a little more empty: they're really just overbrimming with life. I love them.
I saw one of these last winter here in Washington. Couldn't wait to identify it, it was so darling! I was walking my dog, or I might have stopped for a looooooong time to watch 😂. The tiny flash of the crown when it saw the dog was the only reason I was certain of its identity. Lovely little creature 💕
They are adorable… Im in MN ., we are covered in snow here … and the RUBY is here already … as of 4-7 -2023 … what are they eating?? We have heavy ground cover ….❄️❄️❄️
The first time (and only time so far) I saw one, he was jumping around in my hydrangea shrubs. He was soooo tiny, I had to use a monocular to see what that little thing was. I saw the shade of olive, and that tiny little red dot atop of the head was so eye-catching:) Then I googled and learned it was a “ruby-crowned kinglet”, what a cute and accurate name!!
"If you look up 'cute' in the dictionary, this birds face should be there..." Smiles for miles after watching yet another stellar video from one of my favorite content creators! 😁
I have the ruby crowned kinglet who comes to my window every day now. I have seen three of them but this one comes every day except rainy days. He flits around my window looking in. I can walk up to the window and take pictures and talk to him and it doesn't phase him at all. He is sooo cute!!! I put food out for him but I have only seen him eat once.
My Ruby that I nicknamed Tiny was the same exact way!! It was in winter of 2021 I first saw him and almost every day I could count on seeing him at the suet right outside my kitchen window!! I would have my coffee...he had breakfast and I took pictures all the while he serenaded me to some sort...he was a little spitfire for sure!! Then at the end of winter he was gone and I've never seen him again...😢and oh how I miss that lil buggar!! He made my day...
A few years ago, my wife and I were walking along the north shore of Caumsett State park, Lloyd Harbor NY when we were suddenly surrounded by a clutch of about 7 to 10 kinglets, maybe even more. Most impressive about their behaviour was that they each hopped from one tiny branch to another only inches away from us fearlessly. On another note, thanks to your videos on Blue Jays I've managed to befriended a couple of jays that reside in my backyard by feeding them just what you illustrated - peanuts.
Aww that's so cool about all the kinglets you and your wife saw. How cool. And I am really happy that you've managed to befriend a couple of jays. How cool. Thanks for the nice comment. Have a great weekend
I think it’s proper to say that Ruby-crowned Kinglet is too busy to stop…😅 Observing an active bird is fun but challenging… The slow motion was very helpful~ Thank you for sharing this informative video about the adorable Kinglet!🤗
I'm an old lady with 3 old cats, but once the cats have died I want to move into a 3rd floor apartment, surrounded by trees so I can sit on my balcony and watch the kinglets (and other upper-canopy birds). Thank you for this delightful essay on one of my favourite birds.
You're very welcome. I hope it works out for with getting that apartment so you can watch the birds in the surrounding trees :) Take care and thanks for the nice comment
This little bird comes through our area in early spring (Houston, TX) I had reflective glass on my windows and the male would attack with his crown displayed. So cute!
We live in SE. Mississippi and discovered the RCK accidentally one day in late fall after having made a bird feeder with shortening slathered on a toilet paper roll and covered in bird seed. This happened 5 years ago and, once we identified our visitor- thanks to the help of my father who is a seasoned birder- we watched them closely until they left us. We learned that they arrive in our area in November and remain until March. This has been an observable fact each year. It is our tradition to put out feeders each November in anticipation of them. They faithfully come and feed at our window each year. They are very friendly and we can get within 6 feet of them. We have also attracted them with my bird app and have even provoked males to excitement enough so they revealed their crowns. Having grown up in Maryland and living in central North Carolina for many years after college, I had never noticed these birds until our life in Mississippi. They are definitely on our list of favorites! Great video. Thank you.
One could even say that the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is the KING of small birds!! Huh?? Huuuuuh?? Cuz......cuz he got the crown and.....yeah I'll just go home now.
The thing I liked learning was just HOW MANY EGGS they rear! Holy cow! I think I saw a few around here - I definitely heard them!! I saw a tiny feathery head with legs - olive with white eye-ring - and NOW I know who I saw (actually it was a few - females and juveniles)!!! One was pecking for insects in my Japanese maple. And then, last week I heard it - so loud that I thought it was a carolina wren for a minute. So cute! Thanks for another informative and entertaining bird video! Ps: compare this constant movement of the ruby crowned kinglet to the sometimes very still moments of the downy woodpecker. I filmed this twice - both where they sat motionless - not a wing flick or a head turn for a full ten minutes, as they hung from the underside of a suet feeder. They was so still, I thought they were asleep - but it's eyes were wide open. I suspect a predator was near, and the best course of action was the "freeze"!
Oh wow I've never seen one stay still for that long before. I bet you were right, something was around causing them to freeze in position. Thanks for sharing 🐦
My favorite experience with this bird was at the Chicago botanical garden. We visited frequently as we lived nearby. We would ride our bicycles to the Garden and enter through the back. The walk in from there had several spruce trees and the kinglets would nest in those trees. Like chickadees, they are extremely curious birds and they would ‘escort’ us along as we passed through their territory. Their cheerful curious nature early in the morning all but guaranteed a pleasant visit to the botanical garden. A better ambassador to greet guests could never be found. We have since moved to the country and while I very much enjoy the birds that we have here, I still have a special place in my heart for the kinglets. Only the chickadees rival them in cheerfulness. What fantastic little birds they are!
The first bird to land on my hand at my new home. I held up a finger at a convenient place next to the suet, and the little fellow was happy to use the new perch, only scared off by a massive curious chickadee. Happy to see this character get some love here. I've read some amazing studies by Naturalist Bernd Heinrich on these Kinglets and was so happy to see them "in the feather" so to speak.
Really? I am in Houston and I never knew they existed. Was this near the polar vortex storm on Valentine's Day? I saw a few birds I'd never seen before, including a two birds my almost tame feral cat brought into the house. Don't worry, we've trapped, released, and adopted a post-Harvey feral colony of twenty and expanding down to seven extremely wild cats who are spayed or neutered. One of the neutered toms who is a total mama's boy will come in my house when it rains hard or if there's a heat warning.
We've had the pleasure of hosting a few males at our bird feeder near Sacramento, Ca. They flashed thier impressive red crest when agitated by the finches at the feeder. We love thier small bird attitude and magnificent voice. By far one of our favorites
I have been fortunate to see one outside my window. One showed up 3 years ago and every winter I see one coming to the suet feeder. I am amazed at how quick the little cuties are. I was blessed to be able to see that ruby crown 2 years ago. Just a quick bright red flash. They are one of my favorites.
I saw a ruby crowned kinglet for the first time this year in a pine tree looking for insects. They migrate through where I live so I wasn’t really expecting to see one, but what a treat that little guy’s behavior and size was!
the other day I was walking in Jamaica bay NY, near jfk airport, and one of these birds landed on me. it was so curious. it just hopped around on me, on my shoulder, and on my knee as i sat down. i managed to get out my phone and get a recording of the 2 of us just relaxing before it took off. it made my day. I asked a friend what bird it was, and she told me Ruby crowned kinglet, which is how i found this video. I feel a kinship now with this bird.
thank you for chronicling these little charmers, Leslie! They are really cute! I like how their eyes are very big..it makes them look so cute and inquisitive!
Your videos are such a delight to watch - informative, touching, fun, interesting. It is too easy to overlook birds, especially the small ones, and you remind us of the beauty of the natural world.
I've had these adorable birds in my backyard off and on over the years and just love them! When it was snowing last year one came and ate out of the suet log while I was filling it up and let me get his picture. One of my favorite birding moments. I found it interesting about their loud calls.
I loved seeing these come in with the mixed flock, when I turned off my chainsaw, while harvesting firewood in upstate NY. I haven't seen them here on my farm in West Virginia. Sigh. Been seeing Red Headed Woodpeckers though. A beauty I'd never seen before. Brilliant white on the wings and tail, and lovely red head... High in the mulberry tree!
My wife just saw a pair of them 5 mins ago on our back patio in the High Desert above So. Cal. Migrating stop for them. 1st time in 6 years we have seen them.👍
Everything about these little sweeties is endearing! I am a hummingbird enthusiast, so knowing that the Kinglet hovers is thrilling! Thanx for the intro!
We finally have a ruby-crowned kinglet come to our small suburban backyard here on Long Island NY. He visits our suet cake feeder several times a day. I hope he will sing for us this spring when the windows are open. What a treat to have his company!
You mentioned their curiosity... My ruby crowned kinglet lifer swooped down to check me out at a local park and for some reason bowed right in front of me and I saw the ruby crown. I was a very new birder so would never have been able to ID him without that. They truly are cute little balls of energy.
Land Surveying has been my profession for 31 years and my watching and identification went to the next level being outside everyday. Kinglets and Bushtits always make me smile, you hear them before you see them in the canopy or brush. Cheers.
I saw a group of 4 or 5 of them this afternoon on the bank of the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota (25th of April). Three of them had red crowns, one was more prominent. They were in the treetops downhill from me and the three boys came within a couple of meters from me. Flittering around silently. Cartoonishly cute little birds. I'm so happy to live on the Mississippi Flyway, I see something remarkable every time I walk along the river or on it's tributary, the Minnehaha creek which runs directly behind my workplace.
My Ruby-crowned Kinglet experience: In the early 90s I was birding at Robert's Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis. About 50' down the trail a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was feeding on small seedlings along the trail. It kept getting closer and closer! Finally, it landed on my hiking boot picking tiny insects from the laces of my boot! Then it turned its head sideways and looked me straight in the eye for almost 5 seconds before continuing its feeding behavior. It just melted my heart. It was a transformational experience for me.
JUst starting this year to be interested in birds; this video helped me identify an adorable specimen that wouldn't give up looking in our window today.
The first & only time I saw a Ruby Crowned Kinglet was mushroom hunting in the Spring. I was drawn to the song. It took me a bit to spot him. Once I pulled out my camera he became curious & moved through the bushes so quickly I barely could capture him on film. I sat down & watched for 20 minutes or more. Then I rushed home to identify it. What a thrill to spot a new bird to add to my lifetime list.
You may not know this, but the Carol of the Bells is an early 20th Century adaptation of a Ukrainian song called Shchedryk, the "Little Sparrow". The song is about how having a small bird fly into a house at the new year brings blessings. Of course, this made sense in the context of the pre-Christian Slavic calendar. Once the Slavic peoples switched to the Orthodox Julian calendar, the song made less sense, but they sang it anyway on the new year to hope for the blessing in spring. In the early Soviet era, any song that emphasized New Year's over Christmas. Also the, Soviets adopted the Gregorian calendar used in Europe and the Americas, which bumped New years ahead of Orthodox Christmas which still used the Julian calendar. In any event, Carol of the Bells is from a pre-Christian Ukrainian song about getting blessed by a little bird flying in a house that later became a big song all over the Soviet Union because they wanted to make Gregorian calendar New Year a bigger deal than Orthodox Christmas. Soviet choirs traveled in the UK and US and composers decided they loved that hemiola beat and adapted it onto a Christmas carol. Just know you got a threefold Shchedryk blessing.
@@Bacopa68 No, I didn't know that! I immediately searched UA-cam and found performances of the original, which sound unchanged except, of course, for the Ukrainian words. Now I want to find out those words and what they really say. Thank you too for the interesting cultural history around this song. Birds come in and out of my house all the time, but mainly hop in, rather than flying in. I feed birds on the deck, and if I leave the door open, they often come inside, picking up seed that i have tracked in, even though there is much more food outside. The juncos hop right around my feet. These are all birds who see me every day and are used to me. The incidents with the kinglets were different. The kinglets are not feeder birds, and, although i hear them sometimes, it is very rare to see one unless it shows itself on purpose. The kinglets who came in the house were not after food, but were curious. They followed us around, perching on a natural-looking obects like flower displays, and watched our activities for a long time. But one time my husband was working up in the garage loft and a kinglet came in to watch him. Unfortunately, the loft was full of cobwebs, and the kinglet kept trying to land on hanging cobwebs, and ended up so covered with cobwebs it couldn't fly and fell to the ground. I'm guessing that was the first time in his life on the ground. We had to rescue him and pull the cobwebs off, which was an extremely delicate job with a bird almost as insubstantial as the cobwebs. Its tiny leg could easily have been broken by pulling on the cobwebs. But it all turned out fine. The other two kinglets I also had to catch to put outside, once they showed a desire to leave. They let me catch them with practically no resistance. When the kinglet flies into a tree, it becomes invisible, even feet away from my head. I wonder how much they watch us from their invisible perches. I am amazed that Lesley was able to film them like that.
Thanks for all of the great identification info on these little guys. The twitching and band colors on their wings are great identifiers. Their song is very interesting too. I don’t ever recall hearing them outside of the more common alarm chirping. Thanks for the great segment.
Awe, what sweet little faces! I don't believe I've ever seen one of these birds. Thank you for introducing me to them! They sound like their little bodies are mostly vocal cords! It was interesting to learn that they hover like hummingbirds and I was surprised at their clutch size!
Thank you for the attention to the details of identifying these beautiful birds! The Ruby Crowned Kinglet exemplifies the theory that good things do indeed come in small packages!
I had a good look at one recently in the forest. A "calm Kinglet" was 5 feet above me in a branch. I think the Ruby-crowned was as interested in me as I was him.
I love how you've combined the outstanding video footage with on point commentary - so very well done. It all flows so nicely and is a joy to watch. How you were able to track this wee little bird while it flitted through the branches, well it's stunning really. I've tried many, many times and haven't been able to be as smooth in transitions to new perches. I have several photos of Kinglets but none are as sharp & clear as yours. I am so impressed, thank you for sharing these videos. As someone who spends a good amount of time in the woods each week, I can appreciate the years of effort and patience you have invested. Thank you Lesley. We all love what you do !
I live in North Eastern Illinois and saw a pair of these adorable little birds darting between a pine and a pear tree. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! They are not at all common in this area. So TINY and FUNNY! Made my day! Your video helped me to make a positive identification. Thank you so much!
As I’ve been taking the Christmas decorations off our front window, this adorable little bird keeps fluttering/hovering at the window like he wants to get in! What caught my eye is what resembled bright red spiked hair on top of his head. He truly is one of the cutest birds I’ve ever seen! (We live in Tucson,AZ) So glad I found this video.
If you enjoyed the video.
Liking, Leaving a comment, or sharing it on Facebook, Twitter etc. helps out in a HUGE way.
From myself and my bird buddies, thank you ALL for watching. It's greatly appreciated!
Do you have any named kinglets?
I try
I wish I could see this cute bird in person! Thank you for your videos of this bird, & great job keeping up with him in the branches, it is very difficult. I hope I can see him near the gulf coast of north america some time.
I live in GA and just noticed one hanging around my area in the winter. I was so happy to see the crest of a little kinglet. I thought he was challenging me, but seems he had a difference with his reflection. 😂 I immediately had to look him up. I didn't know they only live 4 yrs and interesting to find out they hover. I hope my little Ruby comes to visit me again next winter.
You talk too much
I saw a golden-crowned kinglet on a walk in the woods this march, It was singing and showing me it's colourful crown; this is what got me into birding.
What a great start to a wonderful pastime! Enjoy!
Me too!
That is your "spark bird". You'll remember it forever!
Then it is your "spark bird"! Mine was a male Northern Flicker (yellow shafted) that pushed me into getting a good pair of binoculars. I had been contributing to Cornell Bird, National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy for many years. All along I cared about birds, but commuted to work and had little time to pursue it as a hobby. Now retired, I am truly enjoying it.
... as if they've had too much caffeine... ha! That's too true!
They move like hyper little wind-up toys!
Sweet bird
I am retired and finally have time to be part of Cornell Bird Labs Project FeederWatch. After a snowstorm I was doing the first day of my "watch" and saw this little olive bird next to a Chickadee. I grabbed my compact binoculars to better see its field marks. I searched and finally found that this was a Ruby Crowned Kinglet. I was thrilled, having never seen one before. I just had a feeling you would have done a video of this bird. Thank you so much for this! This kind of experience is what keeps us birdwatching and intensifies our love for it. I did my figures for the count the next day and realized that my feeders had nourished a minimum of 44 birds of 16 different species at a time e when the ground was covered with 8 inches of snow . This is a very satisfying hobby!
I love these little guys. I thought that was interesting about how large their clutch can be.
Didn’t know that other birds besides humming birds could hover. That’s awesome
What a nice video. “They’re so busy they don’t have time for long term relationships.”
Oh! I saw and recorded a ruby-crowned kinglet today while hiking up Mt. Lolo in Montana. Fires passed over the slopes here maybe four years ago (see the 'Lolo Peak Fire' entry on Wikipedia') so most of the old spruce and fir forest is gone -- I saw mountain bluebirds, western tanagers, juncos, and three-toed woodpeckers in the burned-over areas but very little else. About halfway up there's a small island of the old forest left: it was very quiet at the edge of the green area so I stopped for a second and 'pished' to see what'd come. Within thirty seconds I got a gray jay, a townsend's solitaire, a Swainson's thrush, two black-capped chickadees and -- a ruby-crowned kinglet! He looked me over pretty carefully, hopping from branch to branch about five feet away, and then very unexpectedly started singing at full volume -- !
These birds pass through my area in southern Maine by the end of April (they arrive while the ponds are still iced-over and usually before the spring peepers wake up), and I hear them up in Baxter SP by mid-May. Without them the local woods just feel a little more empty: they're really just overbrimming with life. I love them.
I saw one of these last winter here in Washington. Couldn't wait to identify it, it was so darling! I was walking my dog, or I might have stopped for a looooooong time to watch 😂. The tiny flash of the crown when it saw the dog was the only reason I was certain of its identity. Lovely little creature 💕
I saw a ruby crowned kinglet taking a bath in a very tiny stream of water, today. 3-10-23 His ruby crown was very visible.
As a man that's had a red mohawk, our shared curiosity and no one believe that I sleep I can say that this is my spirit bird.
Hahaha too cute 🤗🐦
They are adorable…
Im in MN ., we are covered in snow here … and the RUBY is here already … as of 4-7 -2023 … what are they eating?? We have heavy ground cover ….❄️❄️❄️
Little feather angels how I 💖them so much and was excited today to finally be able to see one bathing in the birdbath!!
Aww how cool. 🐦
The first time (and only time so far) I saw one, he was jumping around in my hydrangea shrubs. He was soooo tiny, I had to use a monocular to see what that little thing was. I saw the shade of olive, and that tiny little red dot atop of the head was so eye-catching:) Then I googled and learned it was a “ruby-crowned kinglet”, what a cute and accurate name!!
Adorable
I ❤️you Ruby-crowned Kinglet!!!!!!
gives new meaning that the best come in small packages. well done
Exactly, 🐦
"If you look up 'cute' in the dictionary, this birds face should be there..."
Smiles for miles after watching yet another stellar video from one of my favorite content creators! 😁
I have the ruby crowned kinglet who comes to my window every day now. I have seen three of them but this one comes every day except rainy days. He flits around my window looking in. I can walk up to the window and take pictures and talk to him and it doesn't phase him at all. He is sooo cute!!! I put food out for him but I have only seen him eat once.
My Ruby that I nicknamed Tiny was the same exact way!! It was in winter of 2021 I first saw him and almost every day I could count on seeing him at the suet right outside my kitchen window!! I would have my coffee...he had breakfast and I took pictures all the while he serenaded me to some sort...he was a little spitfire for sure!! Then at the end of winter he was gone and I've never seen him again...😢and oh how I miss that lil buggar!! He made my day...
I had one show up at my suet feeder this spring. It was never still. Always at least twitching.
A few years ago, my wife and I were walking along the north shore of Caumsett State park, Lloyd Harbor NY when we were suddenly surrounded by a clutch of about 7 to 10 kinglets, maybe even more. Most impressive about their behaviour was that they each hopped from one tiny branch to another only inches away from us fearlessly.
On another note, thanks to your videos on Blue Jays I've managed to befriended a couple of jays that reside in my backyard by feeding them just what you illustrated - peanuts.
Aww that's so cool about all the kinglets you and your wife saw. How cool. And I am really happy that you've managed to befriend a couple of jays. How cool. Thanks for the nice comment. Have a great weekend
I think it’s proper to say that Ruby-crowned Kinglet is too busy to stop…😅
Observing an active bird is fun but challenging… The slow motion was very helpful~
Thank you for sharing this informative video about the adorable Kinglet!🤗
The original punk rocker with the bright red mohawk
Jealous !!!! I haven’t seen one yet !! Awesome video
They are absolutely adorable!🥰🥰🥰 Even the babies can really belt out their little chirps!🎶🎶🎶 Such a fun educational video! Thank you for sharing!🐞🐞🐞
I know hey, those baby sounds are pretty powerful. Adorable
🐦Happy Birding to you 🐦
I'm an old lady with 3 old cats, but once the cats have died I want to move into a 3rd floor apartment, surrounded by trees so I can sit on my balcony and watch the kinglets (and other upper-canopy birds). Thank you for this delightful essay on one of my favourite birds.
You're very welcome. I hope it works out for with getting that apartment so you can watch the birds in the surrounding trees :) Take care and thanks for the nice comment
This little bird comes through our area in early spring (Houston, TX) I had reflective
glass on my windows and the male would attack with his crown displayed. So cute!
You're awesome leslie! Love your videos. Thank you ❤
🤗 that's kind of you. Thank you and you're welcome. Glad you enjoy.
Ah they’re so sweet!
Thank you for posting, I’ve learned so much
No problem, glad you enjoyed and learned some new things. Thank you for the nice comment 🐦
We live in SE. Mississippi and discovered the RCK accidentally one day in late fall after having made a bird feeder with shortening slathered on a toilet paper roll and covered in bird seed. This happened 5 years ago and, once we identified our visitor- thanks to the help of my father who is a seasoned birder- we watched them closely until they left us. We learned that they arrive in our area in November and remain until March. This has been an observable fact each year. It is our tradition to put out feeders each November in anticipation of them. They faithfully come and feed at our window each year. They are very friendly and we can get within 6 feet of them. We have also attracted them with my bird app and have even provoked males to excitement enough so they revealed their crowns. Having grown up in Maryland and living in central North Carolina for many years after college, I had never noticed these birds until our life in Mississippi. They are definitely on our list of favorites! Great video. Thank you.
One could even say that the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is the KING of small birds!! Huh?? Huuuuuh?? Cuz......cuz he got the crown and.....yeah I'll just go home now.
That’s a big clutch, 12!
The thing I liked learning was just HOW MANY EGGS they rear! Holy cow!
I think I saw a few around here - I definitely heard them!! I saw a tiny feathery head with legs - olive with white eye-ring - and NOW I know who I saw (actually it was a few - females and juveniles)!!! One was pecking for insects in my Japanese maple. And then, last week I heard it - so loud that I thought it was a carolina wren for a minute. So cute! Thanks for another informative and entertaining bird video!
Ps: compare this constant movement of the ruby crowned kinglet to the sometimes very still moments of the downy woodpecker. I filmed this twice - both where they sat motionless - not a wing flick or a head turn for a full ten minutes, as they hung from the underside of a suet feeder. They was so still, I thought they were asleep - but it's eyes were wide open. I suspect a predator was near, and the best course of action was the "freeze"!
Oh wow I've never seen one stay still for that long before. I bet you were right, something was around causing them to freeze in position. Thanks for sharing 🐦
My favorite experience with this bird was at the Chicago botanical garden. We visited frequently as we lived nearby. We would ride our bicycles to the Garden and enter through the back. The walk in from there had several spruce trees and the kinglets would nest in those trees. Like chickadees, they are extremely curious birds and they would ‘escort’ us along as we passed through their territory. Their cheerful curious nature early in the morning all but guaranteed a pleasant visit to the botanical garden. A better ambassador to greet guests could never be found. We have since moved to the country and while I very much enjoy the birds that we have here, I still have a special place in my heart for the kinglets. Only the chickadees rival them in cheerfulness. What fantastic little birds they are!
What an amazing song coming from this tiny bird.
The first bird to land on my hand at my new home. I held up a finger at a convenient place next to the suet, and the little fellow was happy to use the new perch, only scared off by a massive curious chickadee. Happy to see this character get some love here. I've read some amazing studies by Naturalist Bernd Heinrich on these Kinglets and was so happy to see them "in the feather" so to speak.
Funny to hear a chickadee being described as "massive". Just shows how small these kinglets are I guess.
Always enjoy your episodes. I’ve only seen one of these ever .
What a sweet bird, cant wait to see (hear!) one some day ❤
Yes, they are adorable. In the midst of all the negativity that's around us, thanks, Lesley, for giving us something positive to think about.
You are very welcome, Dennis. Thank you for the sweet comment. Have a great weekend. 🐦
I saw my first ruby-crowned kinglet in south Texas in the winter.
Really? I am in Houston and I never knew they existed. Was this near the polar vortex storm on Valentine's Day? I saw a few birds I'd never seen before, including a two birds my almost tame feral cat brought into the house.
Don't worry, we've trapped, released, and adopted a post-Harvey feral colony of twenty and expanding down to seven extremely wild cats who are spayed or neutered. One of the neutered toms who is a total mama's boy will come in my house when it rains hard or if there's a heat warning.
We've had the pleasure of hosting a few males at our bird feeder near Sacramento, Ca. They flashed thier impressive red crest when agitated by the finches at the feeder.
We love thier small bird attitude and magnificent voice. By far one of our favorites
I have a crush on the 🐦 whisperer
These birds are so cute and have such great personalities!! Thanks for sharing Lesley
Yes Coby that is so true, they have big personalities. Thanks for the nice comment. Have a great weekend 🐦
the sound baby chicks so cute 🥰
The description and shots of their "triple coffee" energy was my favorite fact
Haha glad you enjoyed that. 🐦
Unusual, but adorable !
I always enjoy learning more about birds through your videos, Lesley! Please continue making them. ❤
I have been fortunate to see one outside my window. One showed up 3 years ago and every winter I see one coming to the suet feeder. I am amazed at how quick the little cuties are. I was blessed to be able to see that ruby crown 2 years ago. Just a quick bright red flash. They are one of my favorites.
Such a delightful bird
What a cute bird! Have only seen a few of these, but very seldom. Thanks for making these videos about the common birds!
Hey thank you, glad you enjoyed the video 🐦
I saw a ruby crowned kinglet for the first time this year in a pine tree looking for insects. They migrate through where I live so I wasn’t really expecting to see one, but what a treat that little guy’s behavior and size was!
Aww that's cool. Glad you saw one.
I love these beautiful little ones. There songs are wonderful.
I only saw one of these in my whole life, several decades ago ~ Thanks, Lesley, for bringing that good memory back to me!
I discovered this gem at a suet feeder last December in SW Ohio and instantly fell in Love! Thank you for this wonderful video 😊
the other day I was walking in Jamaica bay NY, near jfk airport, and one of these birds landed on me. it was so curious. it just hopped around on me, on my shoulder, and on my knee as i sat down. i managed to get out my phone and get a recording of the 2 of us just relaxing before it took off. it made my day. I asked a friend what bird it was, and she told me Ruby crowned kinglet, which is how i found this video. I feel a kinship now with this bird.
Was BLESSED by one at my window sill this morning who sun me a full ass aria while vibrating his flaming crest--thank you, tiny friend
thank you for chronicling these little charmers, Leslie! They are really cute! I like how their eyes are very big..it makes them look so cute and inquisitive!
Those are some cute birds. Very tiny, though!
Your videos are such a delight to watch - informative, touching, fun, interesting. It is too easy to overlook birds, especially the small ones, and you remind us of the beauty of the natural world.
Aww Naomi thank you so much. 🐦
I've had these adorable birds in my backyard off and on over the years and just love them! When it was snowing last year one came and ate out of the suet log while I was filling it up and let me get his picture. One of my favorite birding moments. I found it interesting about their loud calls.
Their song is so loud and pretty.
I loved seeing these come in with the mixed flock, when I turned off my chainsaw, while harvesting firewood in upstate NY. I haven't seen them here on my farm in West Virginia. Sigh. Been seeing Red Headed Woodpeckers though. A beauty I'd never seen before. Brilliant white on the wings and tail, and lovely red head... High in the mulberry tree!
My wife just saw a pair of them 5 mins ago on our back patio in the High Desert above So. Cal. Migrating stop for them. 1st time in 6 years we have seen them.👍
Everything about these little sweeties is endearing! I am a hummingbird enthusiast, so knowing that the Kinglet hovers is thrilling! Thanx for the intro!
One of my favorite birds to photograph and that sound they make is amazing
Just discovered this little darling this year when he came to inspect me as I was putting out food. So cute!!
We finally have a ruby-crowned kinglet come to our small suburban backyard here on Long Island NY. He visits our suet cake feeder several times a day. I hope he will sing for us this spring when the windows are open. What a treat to have his company!
They are just freaking adorable!!
i haven’t seen a ruby-crowned kinglet, but i do see golden-crown kinglets during migration. they are so hard to take pictures of!
Oh, so sweet!
I love this Kinglet! Thank you!
You mentioned their curiosity... My ruby crowned kinglet lifer swooped down to check me out at a local park and for some reason bowed right in front of me and I saw the ruby crown. I was a very new birder so would never have been able to ID him without that. They truly are cute little balls of energy.
Great name for them too! Love they’re song!
I have seen these bird's many times here in Virginia I have also seen them with yellow and orange crowns such wonderful birds thanks for the vid
@@dennisjennings5459 There is also a golden crowned kinglet, so maybe that's what you saw with the different colored crest?
Land Surveying has been my profession for 31 years and my watching and identification went to the next level being outside everyday.
Kinglets and Bushtits always make me smile, you hear them before you see them in the canopy or brush.
Cheers.
The RCK rocks the bird world. Love this little critter. Just saw one this morning and came here to confirm! Thanks so much!
I saw a group of 4 or 5 of them this afternoon on the bank of the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota (25th of April). Three of them had red crowns, one was more prominent. They were in the treetops downhill from me and the three boys came within a couple of meters from me. Flittering around silently. Cartoonishly cute little birds. I'm so happy to live on the Mississippi Flyway, I see something remarkable every time I walk along the river or on it's tributary, the Minnehaha creek which runs directly behind my workplace.
My Ruby-crowned Kinglet experience: In the early 90s I was birding at Robert's Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis. About 50' down the trail a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was feeding on small seedlings along the trail. It kept getting closer and closer! Finally, it landed on my hiking boot picking tiny insects from the laces of my boot! Then it turned its head sideways and looked me straight in the eye for almost 5 seconds before continuing its feeding behavior. It just melted my heart. It was a transformational experience for me.
JUst starting this year to be interested in birds; this video helped me identify an adorable specimen that wouldn't give up looking in our window today.
The first & only time I saw a Ruby Crowned Kinglet was mushroom hunting in the Spring. I was drawn to the song. It took me a bit to spot him. Once I pulled out my camera he became curious & moved through the bushes so quickly I barely could capture him on film. I sat down & watched for 20 minutes or more. Then I rushed home to identify it. What a thrill to spot a new bird to add to my lifetime list.
These birds are indeed very curious, on three occasions one has come into the house and followed us around.
Oh my gosh wow.
You may not know this, but the Carol of the Bells is an early 20th Century adaptation of a Ukrainian song called Shchedryk, the "Little Sparrow". The song is about how having a small bird fly into a house at the new year brings blessings. Of course, this made sense in the context of the pre-Christian Slavic calendar. Once the Slavic peoples switched to the Orthodox Julian calendar, the song made less sense, but they sang it anyway on the new year to hope for the blessing in spring. In the early Soviet era, any song that emphasized New Year's over Christmas. Also the, Soviets adopted the Gregorian calendar used in Europe and the Americas, which bumped New years ahead of Orthodox Christmas which still used the Julian calendar.
In any event, Carol of the Bells is from a pre-Christian Ukrainian song about getting blessed by a little bird flying in a house that later became a big song all over the Soviet Union because they wanted to make Gregorian calendar New Year a bigger deal than Orthodox Christmas. Soviet choirs traveled in the UK and US and composers decided they loved that hemiola beat and adapted it onto a Christmas carol.
Just know you got a threefold Shchedryk blessing.
@@Bacopa68 No, I didn't know that! I immediately searched UA-cam and found performances of the original, which sound unchanged except, of course, for the Ukrainian words. Now I want to find out those words and what they really say. Thank you too for the interesting cultural history around this song.
Birds come in and out of my house all the time, but mainly hop in, rather than flying in. I feed birds on the deck, and if I leave the door open, they often come inside, picking up seed that i have tracked in, even though there is much more food outside. The juncos hop right around my feet. These are all birds who see me every day and are used to me.
The incidents with the kinglets were different. The kinglets are not feeder birds, and, although i hear them sometimes, it is very rare to see one unless it shows itself on purpose. The kinglets who came in the house were not after food, but were curious. They followed us around, perching on a natural-looking obects like flower displays, and watched our activities for a long time.
But one time my husband was working up in the garage loft and a kinglet came in to watch him. Unfortunately, the loft was full of cobwebs, and the kinglet kept trying to land on hanging cobwebs, and ended up so covered with cobwebs it couldn't fly and fell to the ground. I'm guessing that was the first time in his life on the ground. We had to rescue him and pull the cobwebs off, which was an extremely delicate job with a bird almost as insubstantial as the cobwebs. Its tiny leg could easily have been broken by pulling on the cobwebs. But it all turned out fine.
The other two kinglets I also had to catch to put outside, once they showed a desire to leave. They let me catch them with practically no resistance.
When the kinglet flies into a tree, it becomes invisible, even feet away from my head. I wonder how much they watch us from their invisible perches. I am amazed that Lesley was able to film them like that.
Your video of this little bird is quite the feat!....Extremely challenging! 👏👏👏 Thanks, Leslie and happy birding to you too! 🥰
Thank you for not only doing the video but also narrating it. Very interesting, and I love that you obviously care for them, too!
Birb appreciation comment
Thanks for all of the great identification info on these little guys. The twitching and band colors on their wings are great identifiers. Their song is very interesting too. I don’t ever recall hearing them outside of the more common alarm chirping. Thanks for the great segment.
This video is the most in depth profile of a bird species I’ve ever viewed, it has hi quality video, as well as audio, and behavior. Excellent work.
Wow, thank you!
I keep spotting these tiny birds in my Linden tree. But they hardly ever stop moving. I love them. They are so cute.
I love how to describe the birds. Thanks for sharing :)
I enjoy so much seeing the video. The Ruby-Crowned
Kinglet is so sweet, and they sing so beautifuly. Thanks
for sharing @LesleytheBirdNerd
Awe, what sweet little faces! I don't believe I've ever seen one of these birds. Thank you for introducing me to them! They sound like their little bodies are mostly vocal cords! It was interesting to learn that they hover like hummingbirds and I was surprised at their clutch size!
Hey you are welcome. Glad you enjoyed learning a little about this darling bird. Hopefully you'll see one some day soon 🐦
Thank you for the attention to the details of identifying these beautiful birds! The Ruby Crowned Kinglet exemplifies the theory that good things do indeed come in small packages!
I had one of these birds at my kitchen window, so I took a pic and looked it up. Your commentary was very enlightening.
I've seen birds that look similar to the female of this species, but never one that resembles the male. What a cute little bird!
I had a good look at one recently in the forest. A "calm Kinglet" was 5 feet above me in a branch. I think the Ruby-crowned was as interested in me as I was him.
I love how you've combined the outstanding video footage with on point commentary - so very well done. It all flows so nicely and is a joy to watch. How you were able to track this wee little bird while it flitted through the branches, well it's stunning really. I've tried many, many times and haven't been able to be as smooth in transitions to new perches. I have several photos of Kinglets but none are as sharp & clear as yours. I am so impressed, thank you for sharing these videos. As someone who spends a good amount of time in the woods each week, I can appreciate the years of effort and patience you have invested. Thank you Lesley. We all love what you do !
Great footage of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet hovering between the pine branches, and a lovely narrative.
Thank you so much. 🐦
I live in North Eastern Illinois and saw a pair of these adorable little birds darting between a pine and a pear tree. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! They are not at all common in this area. So TINY and FUNNY! Made my day! Your video helped me to make a positive identification. Thank you so much!
As I’ve been taking the Christmas decorations off our front window, this adorable little bird keeps fluttering/hovering at the window like he wants to get in! What caught my eye is what resembled bright red spiked hair on top of his head. He truly is one of the cutest birds I’ve ever seen! (We live in Tucson,AZ)
So glad I found this video.