On this cool, cloudy, rainy day in central Missouri, it was fitting that I encountered my first ruby-crowned kinglet of the season. After all, they breed in coniferous forests across Alaska, Canada, Northern New England, the Upper Great Lakes region and southward through the mountain ranges of the West.
Feasting primarily on insects, these tiny songbirds flit among the branches of trees and large shrubs to snare their prey; during the winter months, they may also consume seeds, berries and insect eggs. The energetic migrants are generally found in our region from late September through November as they head for the southern tier of the U.S. to spend the winter.
Despite their name, the ruby crest of the male is seldom seen in the field and these kinglets are best identified by their small size, white wing bars and eye ring, distinctive vocalizations and their very active hunting style, including their habit of fluttering their wings each time they alight on a limb. This afternoon's visitor did not stay long but he will be remembered as the first to grace our yard this autumn.
