The Ruby-crowned Kinglet Tunes Up Transcript-150

BirdNote™

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet Tunes Up

BirdNote from Seattle Audubon.

[The three-part Ruby-crowned Kinglet song]
In early spring, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet's loud, rollicking song echoes from the forest edge in the northwestern lowlands. Listen carefully, and you'll hear three distinct parts of its song.
[Song of Ruby-crowned Kinglet]
This tiny powerhouse of a singer is one of the smallest songbirds on the continent, weighing in at just a little more than half a chickadee. Mostly green and hard to spot as it flits from twig to twig, you might catch a view of it hovering in mid-air as it catches tiny insects. The male kinglet's green crown-feathers conceal a swatch of red ones. When in the mood to sing, he raises his narrow, crimson crest. The kinglet’s Latin name suits it well: Regulus calendula—the "glowing little king," a regal luster that points to his ruby crown but could also describe his song.
Be sure to listen now, because the Ruby-crowned Kinglet only tunes up his spring song in the lowlands. Later this month, he’ll depart to sing and nest at mile-high altitudes in our mountain forests.
[Song of Ruby-crowned Kinglet]
BirdNote is brought to you by Seattle Audubon. Our lead writer is Frances Wood. Other writers include Ellen Blackstone, Todd Peterson, and Bob Sundstrom. Come find us on the world-wide web at BirdNote.org. I’m Frank Corrado.

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Written by Bob Sundstrom
Song of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by G.A. Keller.

Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© Seattle Audubon 05/11/05

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