Ruby-crowned kinglet

Ruby-crowned kinglet photographed in Manitoba

A ruby-crowned kinglet is a tiny, olive-grey bird that never seems to sit still, flicking its wings constantly as it works through the branches. The male has a ruby red crown, but it is usually hidden, and shows only when he is excited or alarmed.

Kinglets weigh about as much as a handful of coins, but they have a surprisingly loud, rich song that builds in a bubbling series of notes. They nest in the spruce forests of northern Manitoba, and are most often seen in the south during migration in spring and fall, flitting through bare trees and shrubs. They winter in the southern United States and Mexico.

A ruby-crowned kinglet keeps its red crown hidden until it gets excited, then it flashes like a spark, which is my favourite surprise.

To learn more about the ruby-crowned kinglet and its habitat, visit its species page at All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Ruby-crowned kinglet perched on a twig with its red crown patch visible
  • Male ruby-crowned kinglet hopping along dry reeds with its red crown patch showing, Manitoba
  • Ruby-crowned kinglet perched on a thorny branch with small buds against a grey sky, Manitoba
  • Ruby-crowned kinglet clinging to dry reeds in a cattail marsh

Ruby-crowned kinglet Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the ruby-crowned kinglet in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the ruby-crowned kinglet nests and migrates, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the ruby-crowned kinglet in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Hudson Plains, and the Boreal Plains (gold) and passing through the Prairies in spring and fall (lilac). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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