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A Visit from the Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I had a big birding thrill Saturday. As I was looking out the sliding glass door leading to our deck, I saw a tiny bird on a branch very close to a feeder. Then he moved to a feeder and I reached for the camera and started snapping. 




It was such a tiny bird, only about four inches. I checked out the beak and thought it was perhaps a warbler but I wasn't sure.




Hmmm, he had a beak like a warbler but was he a warbler? 





My husband's brother and sister-in-law were at our house when we saw this darling little bird. He thought the bird was a vireo so I started researching vireo birds. 



You can't help but notice the white eye-ring on the bird, the yellow on the tail and the white wingbar. Then I found a website that compared the Hutton's Vireo and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. There it was, the site showed an image of the vireo and the kinglet side by side. Here is that image with the vireo on the left and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the right. 


source of image

As I read on, it said the Ruby-crowned Kinglet had a black bar behind the white wingbar. Now I knew!


Here's my image, and you can easily see the black bar behind the white wingbar!!



This olive-green Ruby-crown Kinglet is a tiny songbird and the second smallest bird in Kentucky. The male does have a ruby crown that he shows mostly during spring and autumn migration. Wish I could have captures his ruby-crown but I can show you an image that does.


source

Now I will be looking for the black bar behind the white wingbar for sure! Maybe I will even see his crown!



Hope you enjoyed seeing my visit from the Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Judy.

Linking to:

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods on Monday pm 

MET Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Thankful Thursday @ It's a Small Town Life
Little Things Thursday @ Random-osity

Thursday Favorite Things @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Grace at Home @ Imparting Grace on Thursday

Friday Favorites Link Party @ Penny's Passion on Thursday


Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday 

Saturday Link Party @ I'd Rather Be Birdin'

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday





10 comments:

  1. We get yellow-crowned kinglets here in NorCal. I may have missed it, but I don't think any of your pictures actually show the ruby crown, which is really just a spot on the top of the head. We also get yellow-rumped warblers. I mention it just because I love the name.

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  2. Oops! How could I have missed that picture?!

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  3. Judy - what a fabulous sighting! Well done with the identification - sounds like it was a team effort that paid off! I hope you get to see the crown before it moves on!!! Happy New Year to you!

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  4. We have lots of warblers and goldfinches right now and it's funny when an odd bird comes in with them. This is a very fun sighting! And you got great pics! Happy weekend!

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  5. Hello, Judy
    Congrats on your Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I have never seen them come to a feeder. They are cute little birds, great photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your weekend!

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  6. Very neat Judy! Great photo and research!! :)

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  7. They are attractive ones. I've only seen a small portion of its crown once, but never the full view you have on your post.
    Thanks, as always, your sharing with us birders at IRBB.

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  8. very cool thanks for the comparison. We have some warblers and finches in our feeder and then that strange one comes along and out comes my ID book

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  9. How exciting! What a pretty little bird.

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  10. I have never seen one - how wonderful that you did!
    Have a blessed day!

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