tags: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Dusky Kinglet, Ruby-Crown, Regulus calendula, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Ruby-crowned Kinglet, also known as the Dusky Kinglet or as the Ruby-Crown, Regulus calendula, photographed at Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 December 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
I think that's a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I'm going by the chunky proportions, the warbler beak, and what's visible of the plumage, especially that dark band on the wing that's distal to the wingbar, where the pale edging on the secondaries goes away, a field mark I learned about here with a previous Mystery Bird.
Happy New Year!
I think you're right John, although the yellow-greenness of it's plumage was not as olive or as grey as I have seen before and initially had me thinking something like an Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata), but the black bill (the Orange-crowned has a light bill), wingbar, certainly the hint of a black "smudge" below the wingbar, black legs with more yellowish feet, and short tail all seem to point to that "little king of marigolds".
The Golden-crowned (Regulus satrapa) is similar but would have had whiter underparts, darker wings, and a differing wingbar pattern; luckily the Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni) appears to be out of range and I think would also have shown more whitish underparts, especially tail coverts, and all-black feet...
so John has an "aye"!
Although there are only three subspecies recorded- this could be grinelli or the nominate calendula (obscurus is only found in Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexican Baja California), several "races" such as cineraceus (California) and arizonensis (Arizona) have been proposed and would suggest enough variability to explain the coloring of the individual above.