Mystery Bird: Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula

I will go with Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)- a small, greenish passerine with a thin bill, white wing bars and yellowish margins to the primaries and secondaries.

If this were a GCKI, we would see some colour in the crown and a white brow.

I will go with Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)- a small, greenish passerine with a thin bill, white wing bars and yellowish margins to the primaries and secondaries.

If this were a GCKI, we would see some colour in the crown and a white brow.

Michael, I can't see the photo just yet, but if this is a Ruby-crowned I would also be looking for a whie eyering (and a lack of a black smudge through the eye) which would also eliminate the Golden-crowned...

Actually, David, when you see the photo you'll see why Michael didn't mention the eyering. On the other hand, Michael, there is another field mark visible that can be used to rule out anything similar (There are two species of vireo that occur in this area in the winter). Look closely at the wing -- this mark is a bit subtle, but very useful when you know what to look for. At the base of the primaries there are several feathers that show black edges instead of yellow. The only bird I know of that shows this is RC Kinglet.

Good call, though.

Thanks Paul- and I'll note that "sweet" little tip in my field guide!

A fig that isn't ripe yet. However, the leaves don't look right.

Without seeing the face of the bird, it looks like a female Cerulean Warbler. The head and body color look right and there is a distinctive black and white striping in the wing.

Ooops... I went back and checked Sibley's. I thought I picked that up from some guide -- and sure enough, it's in there. Unfortunately (for my ego, at least) the black bar referred to is on the secondaries (so, the part of the folded wing closer to the back), and it also occurs on GC Kinglets. I've never noticed it on them, probably because there's so many other marks on Goldens. So, I checked what photos I have, and sure enough, Golden's have it too.

Emily, Cerulean Warbler is an interesting thought. The date is a strike against it, but weird things do happen. On the other hand, any Warbler wouldn't show the dark bar across the secondaries, and I would expect a Cerulean to show some yellow on the breast in it's first winter, and some streaking on the flanks when older. This bird shows neither. I would also expect that with this angle, you might see a bit of the supercilium, but I don't spend much time looking at birds from this angle (especially Ceruleans -- you'd need to be able to fly, most of the time), so I could easily be wrong about the supercilium.

OK, home now...

I think Paul must have been referring to the Red-eyed Vireo and also the Warbling Vireo (the very similar Hutton's Vireo is out of range, just reaching western Texas), both of which have similar olive coloring above with a gray wash towards the head and lighter underparts but both of which I would eliminate because neither would have the white wingbar (the Hutton would show two anyway, and not one)...

while enough of the head is visible that would probably show some of the crest, especially the black steaks, I would also eliminate the Golden-crowned Kinglet because I would expect to see a distinct gray nape contrasting with the olive back...

Emily, although the female Cerulean Warbler is more green than the male, I would expect to see more of a blue-green to the upperparts, none of the yellow edging I see in the primaries, some streaking along the sides of the breast, but more definitive for me, she would show two white wingbars instead of one...

also within range and somewhat similar with the olive upperparts and olive-gray head is the Orange-crowned Warbler, but this too would be eliminated because it does not have a wingbar at all...

therefore I think Michael has it spot on: a Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Actually, David, I was thinking of White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, both of which winter along the coast, and both of which have wing bars. The one vs. two wing bars is a bit misleading. The upper one is on the medial secondary coverts, and can be covered by scapulars at times. It does seem that kinglets have 'extra-fluffy' body feathers, and therefore show the upper bar less often, but it is there (and just visible on the photo). Actually, checking photos, it may be a bit thinner than on vireos, and more likely to wear completely off as well.

Thanks Paul, I see the hint of a second wingbar now in my Sibley but it's not specifically mentioned as a "second" wingbar, and Patuxent and Cornell simply say "wingbars" which I read as one on each side!

One thing I also noticed about the black patches on the secondaries of the kinglets is that there is one on the Ruby but two on the Golden, more noticeable in flight where the second appears forward of the main white wingbar when the wings are extended.

Paul I see what you mean with the White-eyed Vireo and the Blue-headed Vireo... I guess other than the darher head of the Blue-headed, I would be looking for each to show a little more yellow on the flanks, but it's really hard to make out the differences in wing colors and patterning as compared to the angle of the shot in our photo above, but having now compared it to a profile view of a Ruby, I can see the differences... just...!

at first glance I thought Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the white stripe on the scapulars did it for me.

Yay! Katy Prairie Conservancy! I did my eagle project there helping build maintenance bridges for the wetlands project there. =D