kinglet

kinglet, (genus Regulus), any of six species of small songbirds of the family Regulidae. Although among the smallest of songbirds (weighing less than 10 grams [0.4 ounce]), they are able to survive cold climates and remain exceedingly active by flitting constantly about and flicking their wings open and closed. These round-bodied, short-billed little birds are usually found in coniferous woodlands. They make a high-hanging nest of moss bound with cobwebs that is so small that the 5–10 eggs within may lie in two layers. Kinglets are about 9 cm (3.5 inches) long, with greenish gray body plumage and bright crown marks.

The golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa) of North America is often considered the same species as the goldcrest (R. regulus) of Eurasia; both have the crown patch—red in males, yellow in females—strikingly bordered with black. The firecrest (R. ignicapillus) of Europe resembles the goldcrest but has a white eyeline, and the flamecrest, or yellow-rumped kinglet (R. goodfellowi), of Taiwan is sometimes considered a subspecies of the firecrest. In the ruby-crowned kinglet (R. calendula) of North America, the crown mark is a mere tick of red, appearing on the male only and usually concealed.