Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Photo: Golden-Crowned Kinglet//Junior Barnes

The Golden-Crowned Kinglet is one of the two kinglet species in North America, the other being the Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (which also lives in Ohio). The Golden-Crowned Kinglet is a very small bird, about the size of a chickadee. The male and female Golden-Crowned Kinglet look alike. Their primary diet is insects, but in the winter they also some seeds. Kinglets are fairly common in wooded areas in Ohio, commonly residing in the same areas as chickadees and titimice. Their behavior closely resembles that of warblers in both the spring and fall. In spring they glean insects from the undersides of leaves, and will also hover to grab an insect in a location inconvienient for perching. During the winter they flit from tree to tree, working their way along the tree and its branches as they search for small morsels tucked in the folds of the trees bark. Golden-Crowned Kinglets have a high-pitched, squeaking call, somewhat resembling the scold of a chickadee.