Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa


Golden-crowned Kinglet
This tiny insectivore shares its genus with the other North American kinglet, the Ruby-crowned, but it actually is a closer relative of the old-world Goldcrest (Regulus regulus). The little bird shown above made himself conspicuous in an urban park in San Jose during February 2014, and allowed me my first photograph of this species, which had been a nemesis of mine.


Golden-crowned Kinglet
Later, in the summer of 2014, I visited Deer Isle, Maine, where Golden-crowned Kinglets nest. Above is an adult male with crown feathers erected, and below is a juvenile.


Golden-crowned Kinglet