Kinglet
Encyclopedia
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warbler
s, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice
. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin
word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the coloured crowns of adult birds. This family has representatives in North America
and Eurasia
. There are seven species in this family; one, the Madeira Firecrest
, Regulus madeirensis, was only recently split from Common Firecrest as a separate species. One species, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, differs sufficiently in its voice and plumage to occasionally be afforded its own genus, Corthylio.
s, ranging in size from 8–11 cm (3.2–4.3 in) and weighing 6–8 g (0.2–0.3 oz); the sexes are the same size. They have medium-length wings and tails, and small needle-like bill
s. The plumage
is overall grey-green, offset by pale wingbars, and the tail tip is incised. Five species have a single stiff feather covering the nostril, but in the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, this is replaced by several short, stiff bristles. Most kinglets have distinctive head markings, and the males possess a colourful crown patch. In the females, the crown is duller and yellower. The long feathers forming the central crown stripe can be erected; they are inconspicuous most of the time, but are used in courtship and territorial displays when the raised crest is very striking.
There are two species in North America with largely overlapping distributions, and two in Eurasia which also have a considerable shared range. In each continent, one species (Goldcrest in Eurasia and Golden-crowned Kinglet in North America) is a conifer specialist; these have deeply grooved pads on their feet for perching on conifer twigs, and a long hind toe and claw for clinging vertically. The two generalists, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Common Firecrest hunt more in flight, and have smoother soles, shorter hind claws and a longer tail.
s, but frequently given family status, especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are taxonomically remote from the warblers. The names of the family, Regulidae, and its only genus, Regulus, are derived from the Latin
regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king", and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets. The kinglets were allocated to the warbler genus Sylvia
by English naturalist
John Latham
in 1790, but moved to their current genus by French zoologist
Georges Cuvier
in 1800.
Several forms have only recently had their status clarified. The Madeira Firecrest
was formerly considered to be a subspecies, R. i. madeirensis, of the Common Firecrest R. ignicapillus. A phylogenetic
analysis based on the cytochrome b
gene
showed that the Madeiran form is distinct at the species level from the Firecrest nominate subspecies R. i. ignicapillus. Cytochrome b gene divergence between the Madeira Firecrest and the European bird is 8.5%, comparable with the divergence level between other recognised Regulus species, such as the 9% between the Goldcrest
and the Golden-crowned Kinglet
. The split was accepted by the Association of European Rarities Committees
(AERC) in 2003, but some authorities, like Clements, have not yet recognised the new species. The Golden-crowned Kinglet
is similar in appearance to the Common Firecrest and has been considered to be its New World equivalent, but it is actually closer to the Goldcrest
.
Goldcrests from the Canary Islands are particularly distinctive having a black forehead, pink-buff underparts and a darker closed wing, and have been sometimes treated either as a subspecies of the Common Firecrest or as a different Regulus species altogether. They were sometimes called the Tenerife Goldcrest
, no matter which of the islands they lived on; however, a 2006 study of the vocalisations of these birds indicate that they actually comprise two subspecies of the Goldcrest that are separable on voice; R. r. teneriffae occurring on Tenerife and the newly described subspecies, R. r. ellenthalerae, occurring on the smaller islands of La Palma and El Hierro. The three Goldcrest taxa on the Azores
, Santa Maria Goldcrest
, Sao Miguel Goldcrest
and Western Azores Goldcrest
, represent recent colonisations from Europe, and are best treated as subspecies.
The relationships of the Flamecrest
or Taiwan Firecrest (Regulus goodfellowi) of Taiwan have also been a source of much debate. It is sometimes viewed as a race of Firecrest, but its territorial song resembles those of the Himalayan
races of Goldcrest, and genetic data show that it is the closest relative of that species, and, despite its alternative name, only distantly related to the Firecrest. The Flamecrest diverged from the Goldcrest 3.0–3.1 mya (million years ago).
Most members of the Regulus genus are similar in size and colour pattern. The exception is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the largest species, which has a strongly red crest and no black crown stripes. It has distinctive vocalisations, and is different enough from the Old World kinglets and the other American species, the Golden-crowned Kinglet, to be sometimes assigned to a separate genus, Corthylio.
) records from Europe of extant Regulus species, mostly Goldcrests or unidentifiable to species. The only fossil of an extinct Regulus is a left ulna
from 2.6–1.95 mya in Bulgaria, which was identified as belonging to an extinct species, Regulus bulgaricus
. The Goldcrest lineage diverged from this apparent ancestor of the Common Firecrest in the Middle Pleistocene.
and the Himalayas
. They are adapted to conifer forests, although there is a certain amount of adaptability and most species will use other habitats, particularly during migration. In Macaronesia, they are adapted to laurisilva
and tree heaths.
building. Kinglets prevented from feeding may lose a third of their body weight in twenty minutes and may starve to death in an hour. Kinglets are insectivores, preferentially feeding on insects such as aphid
s and springtail
s that have soft cuticles. Prey is generally gleaned
from the branches and leaves of trees, although in some circumstances prey may be taken on the wing or from the leaf litter on the ground.
on the IUCN Red List
,
Old World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice
Titmouse
The tits, chickadees, and titmice constitute Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa...
. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the coloured crowns of adult birds. This family has representatives in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. There are seven species in this family; one, the Madeira Firecrest
Madeira Firecrest
The Madeira Firecrest or Madeira Kinglet, Regulus madeirensis, is a very small passerine bird that is endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a member of the kinglet family. Before it was recognised as a separate species in 2003, it was classified as a subspecies of the Common Firecrest...
, Regulus madeirensis, was only recently split from Common Firecrest as a separate species. One species, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, differs sufficiently in its voice and plumage to occasionally be afforded its own genus, Corthylio.
Description
Kinglets are among the smallest of all passerinePasserine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
s, ranging in size from 8–11 cm (3.2–4.3 in) and weighing 6–8 g (0.2–0.3 oz); the sexes are the same size. They have medium-length wings and tails, and small needle-like bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
s. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is overall grey-green, offset by pale wingbars, and the tail tip is incised. Five species have a single stiff feather covering the nostril, but in the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, this is replaced by several short, stiff bristles. Most kinglets have distinctive head markings, and the males possess a colourful crown patch. In the females, the crown is duller and yellower. The long feathers forming the central crown stripe can be erected; they are inconspicuous most of the time, but are used in courtship and territorial displays when the raised crest is very striking.
There are two species in North America with largely overlapping distributions, and two in Eurasia which also have a considerable shared range. In each continent, one species (Goldcrest in Eurasia and Golden-crowned Kinglet in North America) is a conifer specialist; these have deeply grooved pads on their feet for perching on conifer twigs, and a long hind toe and claw for clinging vertically. The two generalists, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Common Firecrest hunt more in flight, and have smoother soles, shorter hind claws and a longer tail.
Taxonomy
The kinglets are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblerOld World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s, but frequently given family status, especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are taxonomically remote from the warblers. The names of the family, Regulidae, and its only genus, Regulus, are derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king", and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets. The kinglets were allocated to the warbler genus Sylvia
Typical warbler
The typical warblers are small birds belonging to the genus Sylvia in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae. There are 28 species currently included in the genus, including five species formerly treated in the genus Parisoma, a treatment which left Sylvia paraphyletic...
by English naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
John Latham
John Latham (ornithologist)
John Latham was an English physician, naturalist and author. He was born at Eltham in Kent, and was the eldest son of John Latham, a surgeon there, and his mother was a descendant of the Sothebys, in Yorkshire....
in 1790, but moved to their current genus by French zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
in 1800.
Several forms have only recently had their status clarified. The Madeira Firecrest
Madeira Firecrest
The Madeira Firecrest or Madeira Kinglet, Regulus madeirensis, is a very small passerine bird that is endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a member of the kinglet family. Before it was recognised as a separate species in 2003, it was classified as a subspecies of the Common Firecrest...
was formerly considered to be a subspecies, R. i. madeirensis, of the Common Firecrest R. ignicapillus. A phylogenetic
Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
analysis based on the cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
showed that the Madeiran form is distinct at the species level from the Firecrest nominate subspecies R. i. ignicapillus. Cytochrome b gene divergence between the Madeira Firecrest and the European bird is 8.5%, comparable with the divergence level between other recognised Regulus species, such as the 9% between the Goldcrest
Goldcrest
The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very...
and the Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black...
. The split was accepted by the Association of European Rarities Committees
Association of European Rarities Committees
The Association of European Rarities Committees is a co-ordinating and liaison body for the bird rarities committees of Europe and other nearby countries.It was created in 1993 at a meeting of European rarities committees on the German island of Heligoland....
(AERC) in 2003, but some authorities, like Clements, have not yet recognised the new species. The Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black...
is similar in appearance to the Common Firecrest and has been considered to be its New World equivalent, but it is actually closer to the Goldcrest
Goldcrest
The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very...
.
Goldcrests from the Canary Islands are particularly distinctive having a black forehead, pink-buff underparts and a darker closed wing, and have been sometimes treated either as a subspecies of the Common Firecrest or as a different Regulus species altogether. They were sometimes called the Tenerife Goldcrest
Tenerife Goldcrest
The Tenerife Goldcrest, Regulus regulus teneriffae, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family, closely resembling the Goldcrest but with a broader black band across the forehead, slightly darker underparts and a longer bill...
, no matter which of the islands they lived on; however, a 2006 study of the vocalisations of these birds indicate that they actually comprise two subspecies of the Goldcrest that are separable on voice; R. r. teneriffae occurring on Tenerife and the newly described subspecies, R. r. ellenthalerae, occurring on the smaller islands of La Palma and El Hierro. The three Goldcrest taxa on the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Santa Maria Goldcrest
Santa Maria Goldcrest
The Santa Maria Goldcrest, Regulus regulus sanctaemariae, Estrelinha-de-poupa in Portuguese, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It is endemic to Santa Maria Island in the Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean where it is a non-migratory resident....
, Sao Miguel Goldcrest
Sao Miguel Goldcrest
The Sao Miguel Goldcrest , Estrelinha-de-poupa in Portuguese, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It is endemic to São Miguel in the Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean where it is a non-migratory resident....
and Western Azores Goldcrest
Western Azores Goldcrest
The Western Azores Goldcrest , Estrelinha-de-poupa in Portuguese, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. It is endemic to the Azores archipelago, in the North Atlantic Ocean, where it is a non-migratory resident of the islands of Flores, Faial, Terceira, São Jorge and Pico....
, represent recent colonisations from Europe, and are best treated as subspecies.
The relationships of the Flamecrest
Taiwan Firecrest
The Taiwan Firecrest , also known as the Flamecrest, is a species of bird in the kinglet family, Regulidae, that is endemic to the mountains of the island of Taiwan.-Description:...
or Taiwan Firecrest (Regulus goodfellowi) of Taiwan have also been a source of much debate. It is sometimes viewed as a race of Firecrest, but its territorial song resembles those of the Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
races of Goldcrest, and genetic data show that it is the closest relative of that species, and, despite its alternative name, only distantly related to the Firecrest. The Flamecrest diverged from the Goldcrest 3.0–3.1 mya (million years ago).
Most members of the Regulus genus are similar in size and colour pattern. The exception is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the largest species, which has a strongly red crest and no black crown stripes. It has distinctive vocalisations, and is different enough from the Old World kinglets and the other American species, the Golden-crowned Kinglet, to be sometimes assigned to a separate genus, Corthylio.
Species
| Species in taxonomic sequence Taxonomic sequence Taxonomic sequence is a sequence followed in listing of taxa which aids ease of use and roughly reflects the evolutionary relationships among the taxa... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Common and binomial name | Image | Description | Range |
| Goldcrest Goldcrest The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very... Regulus regulus |
Olive-green upperparts, buff-white underparts and a plain face with conspicuous black irises Iris (anatomy) The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink... . The crown of the head has black sides and a narrow black front, and a bright crest, yellow with an orange centre in the male, and entirely yellow in the female. |
Most of Europe and Asia. | |
| Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus |
Bright olive-green upperparts with bronze shoulder patches, and whitish underparts with brownish-grey on the breast and flanks. The head has a black eye stripe, long white supercilium Supercilium The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs... , and a crest, bright yellow in the female and mainly orange in the male. |
Southern Europe and North Africa | |
| Madeira Firecrest Madeira Firecrest The Madeira Firecrest or Madeira Kinglet, Regulus madeirensis, is a very small passerine bird that is endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a member of the kinglet family. Before it was recognised as a separate species in 2003, it was classified as a subspecies of the Common Firecrest... Regulus madeirensis |
Compared to the Common Firecrest, this species has a longer bill and legs, a shorter white supercilium, more black on the wings and a deeper golden-bronze shoulder patch; the male's crest is duller orange. | Madeira Madeira Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union... |
|
| Taiwan Firecrest Taiwan Firecrest The Taiwan Firecrest , also known as the Flamecrest, is a species of bird in the kinglet family, Regulidae, that is endemic to the mountains of the island of Taiwan.-Description:... or Flamecrest Regulus goodfellowi |
Upperparts green, rump and flanks yellow, and underparts are buff. There is a white wing bar. The crown has black stripes and a crest, orange-yellow in male and yellow in female. White around the eye and a white supercilium Supercilium The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs... . Throat and neck sides are grey. |
Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... |
|
| Golden-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black... Regulus satrapa |
Olive-grey upperparts and white underparts. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black. The adult male has an orange patch in the middle of the yellow crown. | North America. | |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula |
 |
Grey-green upperparts and olive-buff underparts. A relatively plain face and head with broken white eye ring. The male has a scarlet-red crown patch, which is usually concealed by the surrounding feathers. | North America. |
Fossils
There are a few Pleistocene (2.6 million to 12,000 years BPBefore Present
Before Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon...
) records from Europe of extant Regulus species, mostly Goldcrests or unidentifiable to species. The only fossil of an extinct Regulus is a left ulna
Ulna
The ulna is one of the two long bones in the forearm, the other being the radius. It is prismatic in form and runs parallel to the radius, which is shorter and smaller. In anatomical position The ulna is one of the two long bones in the forearm, the other being the radius. It is prismatic in form...
from 2.6–1.95 mya in Bulgaria, which was identified as belonging to an extinct species, Regulus bulgaricus
Regulus bulgaricus
Regulus bulgaricus is a fossil passerine from the Middle Villafranchian of Bulgaria. This bird is a member of the kinglet family and genus, and is the only fossil kinglet found so far. It is known from a single ulna, which is 13.3 mm long...
. The Goldcrest lineage diverged from this apparent ancestor of the Common Firecrest in the Middle Pleistocene.
Distribution and habitat
Kinglets are birds of the Nearctic and Palearctic ecozones, with representatives in temperate North America, Europe and Asia, northernmost Africa, MacaronesiaMacaronesia
Macaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
and the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. They are adapted to conifer forests, although there is a certain amount of adaptability and most species will use other habitats, particularly during migration. In Macaronesia, they are adapted to laurisilva
Laurisilva
Laurisilva or laurissilva is a subtropical forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterised by evergreen, glossy-leaved tree species that look alike with leaves of lauroide type...
and tree heaths.
Diet and feeding
The tiny size and rapid metabolism of kinglets means that they must constantly forage in order to provide their energy needs. They will continue feeding even when nestBird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
building. Kinglets prevented from feeding may lose a third of their body weight in twenty minutes and may starve to death in an hour. Kinglets are insectivores, preferentially feeding on insects such as aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s and springtail
Springtail
Springtails form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects...
s that have soft cuticles. Prey is generally gleaned
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
from the branches and leaves of trees, although in some circumstances prey may be taken on the wing or from the leaf litter on the ground.
Breeding
The nest are small, very neat cups, almost spherical in shape, made of moss and lichen held together with spiderwebs and hung from twigs near the end of a high branch of a conifer. They are lined with hair and feathers, and a few feathers are placed over the opening. These characteristics provide good insulation against the cold environment. The female lays 7 to 12 eggs, which are white or pale buff, some having fine dark brown spots. Because the nest is small, they are stacked in layers. The female incubates; she pushes her legs (which are well supplied with blood vessels, hence warm) down among the eggs. The eggs hatch after 15 to 17 days. The young stay in the nest for 19 to 24 days. After being fed, nestlings make their way down to the bottom of the nest, pushing their still-hungry siblings up to be fed in their turn (but also to be cold).Status
The four continental Regulus species all have very large ranges and populations. The two single-island endemics are common within their habitat, and are not thought to be at risk. All kinglets are therefore classed as Least ConcernLeast Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
,
External links
- Kinglet videos on the Internet Bird Collection