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One of the smallest birds in the Algonquin Highlands, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is only 10 cm in length. They are olive-grey above and white below. They have a narrow white eye ring, and two white wing bars with a dark area beyond the second. Males have a tuft of red feathers on the crown, only visible when the bird is aroused, at which time it erects the feathers for a few seconds. Although they are so small, they make up for their size by their sound. They produce big and lively rollicking melodies.
They live in the spruce bogs, feeding in the canopy, able to sit on the tips of conifer branches. They generally hover above the branches in search of caterpillars, aphids, and other insects.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a migrating bird, moving south for the winter to avoid starvation and the freezing temperatures. Their small size and the long trip makes them vulnerable, and often half of the species do not return the next year. Since food supplies are so abundant when they return, they often raise 8 or 9 young. Nests are quite large, consisting of mosses, lichens, and bark strips, and is well hidden in a conifer.
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RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
Regulus calendula
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