Ruby-crowned kinglets for the FF community

Can you tell how much I love springtime? So many birds are on the move, some are migrating long distances from the warm weather places where they spent the winter. It's so good to see them return!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet is one of North America's smallest birds, tinier than a Chickadee and only a bit larger than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Males have red crown feathers, but only reveal them when excited. Females lack the red crest but otherwise look identical.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

They are not frequent visitors to my yard, but daughter Ella was able to capture these great photos at the Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Chicago. Most of the 10 acre sanctuary is fenced off and only wildlife is allowed in... Taking photos of any birds through the fence from the path that circles the sanctuary is challenging!

This little dynamo never sits still and flitters ceaselessly from treetops to low brush, closely examining each leaf and branch for food. It can hover, rather like a hummingbird, while looking for it's next bit of food.

It is a olive-green songbird native to North America and is 4 inches long and weighs less than a third of an ounce, They have white wing bars, and white eye rings,
It's hyper movement is one of the features that makes it easy to identify

It mainly eats insects and feeds on beetles, flies, moths, ants, and wasps, and spiders. It also will eat some fruit and berries.

.Ruby-crowned Kinglet