Kinglets: Family Regulidae

Kinglets are a family of birds native to northern temperate and boreal forests in North America and Eurasia. Also called 'crests', these birds get their name for the golden or ruby colored crown of feathers on top of their head. Kinglets are the smallest of Passerines and live off a diet of insects, either caught mid-flight or while perched. Species with longer wings and sharper beak, like the Ruby Crowned Kinglet, are more likely to hunt on the wing than species that do not have these specialized adaptations.

Small Problems

Kinglets are very small, some of these species are even smaller than shrews, or some hummingbirds. When animals get this small, it gets harder and harder to stay warm, because body heat is lost so fast. Small animals like this compensate by eating continuously in order to maintain their high metabolism and body temperature. Kinglets have to constantly snack on insects, and can lose almost a third of their body weight in 20 minutes if they don't. Their snacks are generally small, and prefer to eat energy packed meals like aphids.

Small though they are, Kinglets have a loud, very high pitched call, which can be hard to hear if you suffer from any hearing loss. Listen to these birds here.

Taxonomy

Kinglets and Crests are closely related to Old World Warblers and are sometimes grouped in the family syviidae. There is only on genus and 7 species of Kinglets. Genera include:

Genus Rugulus