Songbirds

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

One of North America's smallest songbirds, with olive-green plumage, bold white wing bars, and a brilliant golden-orange crown stripe bordered by black. It flicks its wings nervously as it forages.

Current regional viewing notes

Coniferous forests around Hoonah; moves through spruce and hemlock canopy in small groups, often mixed with chickadees.

Dataset note: This legacy field can be specific to Southeast Alaska/Hoonah and is not a complete statewide range statement.

Habitat

Dense coniferous forests, especially Sitka spruce and western hemlock.

Diet

Tiny insects, spiders, and their eggs gleaned from conifer branches and bark.

Natural history note

Golden-crowned Kinglets can survive temperatures of minus 40 degrees by huddling together at night and maintaining a body temperature of 111°F — remarkably high for a 6-gram bird.