Tiny, with predominantly drab plumage; barely larger than a hummingbird; gray and olive overall. Face pattern is distinctive: white supercilium and throat, dark eye and eyeline, short black bill, and yellow-orange to yellow crown with thick black border. Male has golden-orange crown, while females and juveniles have bright yellow crowns. Dark wings have a single white wingbar and greenish-edged flight feathers. Legs are black with yellow feet. Ruby-crowned Kinglet has two wingbars and an unpatterned olive-green face that lacks crown stripes.

Length: 10 (cm) Wingspan: 18 (cm)

Voice:

Extremely high-pitched, tinkling sounds; song is a rising series of high-pitched whistles followed by quick descending chatter. Calls similar to Brown Creeper, but shorter, less evenly spaced, and softer.

Habitat:

Coniferous woodlands. During migration, may be found in a variety of forest types.

Behavior:

Often forages high in canopy, inside dense coniferous foliage, and high-pitched vocalizations are difficult to pinpoint. Very active and flitty. Routinely hangs upside-down or hovers at the end of a branch. Nest is a deep, well-camouflaged hanging cup, woven of moss, lichens, and other soft materials. In winter, joins mixed flocks with chickadees, nuthatches, warblers, vireos, and other passerines.

Feeding:

Forages acrobatically, gleaning foliage for small insects, insect eggs and larvae, and arthropods.