Understanding Ruby Crowned Kinglet Diet and Behavior

The Ruby Crowned Kinglet is a tiny bird that's a delight to watch, but have you ever wondered what it eats and how it behaves?

They primarily feed on insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates, with a particular fondness for aphids and spiders.

In the summer months, Ruby Crowned Kinglets can be found in dense coniferous forests, where they forage for food in the dense foliage.

Their diet also consists of nectar and fruit, which they consume from flowers and shrubs.

These tiny birds are known to be social creatures, often traveling in large flocks during migration.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets eat tiny insects, spiders, and eggs, especially eggs that are stuck to the undersides of leaves and twigs.

In the winter, they also eat some seeds, sap, and berries.

They have a particular fondness for dried mealworm crumbles, and will even eat leftovers or broken pieces of dried mealworms that other birds don't bother with.

They also enjoy little chunks of C&S Suet nuggets, but are not interested in seeds like Safflower, hulled Sunflower, or peanut mix.

It's worth noting that they will drink water, but may be intimidated by larger birds, so it's a good idea to offer them smaller water plates.

Here's an interesting read: What Do Ruby Throated Hummingbirds Eat

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are very small birds, smaller than chickadees, with a rather large head in comparison to the rest of their body.

They seemingly possess endless energy while flapping their wings nearly continuously in pursuit of small insects from tree foliage.

Kinglets are only found in North America and consist of two species: the Ruby-crowned Kinglet and the Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Both Kinglets breed in the Northern Boreal Forest in Canada and parts of extreme Northern U.S during the summer months.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets have a distinctive white eyering and a single white wingbar to set themselves apart from other similar-looking birds.

Male Ruby-crowned Kinglets have a spectacular ruby cap that they only reveal when they're excited or trying to attract a mate.

A typical diet consists of aphids, wasps, crickets, springtails, bark beetles, and spiders. They will also eat seeds and berries in the winter.

The Golden-crowned Kinglet looks a bit different with a black and white striped head and a beautiful lemony, golden crown - often visible if you have the right viewing angle.

Here's a breakdown of what Kinglets typically forage on:

Ruby-crowned Kinglets can lay up to 12 eggs in a nest, with each egg weighing about a fifteenth of an ounce, and the total clutch of eggs weighing about as much as the female bird.

The oldest Ruby-crowned Kinglet ever recorded was 8 years and 8 months old - recaptured in Texas.

For another approach, see: Ruby Throated Hummingbird Eggs