Regulus satrapa

An extremely small (3 ½ inches) songbird, the male Golden-crowned Kinglet is most easily identified by its small size, olive-green body, black eye-stripe, black wings with white wing bars, and bright orange crown patch surrounded by a black ring. Female Golden-crowned Kinglets are similar, but have a yellow crown instead. Both sexes may be separated from the related Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) by that species’ larger size, darker face, and white eye-ring. The Golden-crowned Kinglet breeds across southern Alaska, Canada, and the northern tier of the United States, extending south at higher elevations in the west as far as southern Arizona. In winter, most populations migrate south to the U.S.and northern Mexico, although some populations breeding in the mountain west and the northeastern U.S.migrate little if at all. Isolated non-migratory populations occur in central Mexico and Guatemala. Golden-crowned Kinglets breed primarily in northern and high-mountain evergreen forests. In winter, this species may be found in a variety of evergreen, deciduous, and mixed forests. Golden-crowned Kinglets primarily eat small insects and spiders, but will also eat fruit and seeds during the winter or when invertebrates are not available. In appropriate habitat, Golden-crowned Kinglets may be observed flitting through the forest canopy while plucking small invertebrates from leaves or evergreen needles. Birdwatchers may also listen for this species’ song, composed of several high-pitched “chip” notes ending in a lower-pitched whinny. Golden-crowned Kinglets are primarily active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDING: southern Alaska to Newfoundland, south to central California, southern Utah, southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, southern Manitoba, northern Wisconsin, northern Ohio, New York, in mountains to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, northern Maryland, northern New Jersey, and southern Maine; also in highlands through Mexico to western Guatemala; isolated populations in South Dakota, Illinois, and Indiana (Ingold and Galati 1997, AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: south-coastal Alaska and southern Canada south to northern Baja California, southwestern U.S., Guatemala, central Tamaulipas, Gulf Coast, and Florida (AOU 1998).

Length: 10 cm

Weight: 6 grams

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Coniferous forest and woodland (especially spruce), in migration and winter also deciduous woodland, scrub and brush (AOU 1983). Nests usually in an evergreen, most often in crown 9-18 m above ground; average about 15 m in northern Minnesota (Terres 1980, Galati 1991).

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Northern breeding populations migrate south for winter.

Comments: Feeds primarily on insects and their eggs (e.g., bark beetles, scale insects, aphids). Also drinks tree sap (Terres 1980) and eats some fruit and seeds (rare according to Galati 1991). Young are fed various insects and other small arthropods and sometimes small snails (Galati 1991). In Maine, winter diet appeared to consist primarily of geometrid caterpillars (Heinrich and Bell 1995, Wilson Bulletin 107:558-561). Forages among branches of trees, gleaning from foliage and bark. Often obtains prey while clinging to or hanging from foliage (Keast and Saunders 1991). Sometimes uses short flight to capture flying insect.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

Comments: Widespread and range is expanding.

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: In California alone estimated to have close to 5 million individuals. Density highest in western part of range. In winter (December - early January) highest densities occur west of Cascade Mountains in Washington, Oregon, and northern California; in East, highest winter density in coastal plains from northern Virginia to South Carolina, through Mississippi and extending along Arkansas - Louisiana border (Ingold and Galati 1997).

Territory size in northern Minnesota was 2.1-6.2 acres (mean 4.1 acres) (Galati 1991). Hatching and fledging success were high in Minnesota; the most frequent sources of nesting mortality were predation on nests (e.g., by red squirrel or gray jay), starvation of nestings due to loss of one or both parents, and faulty or infertile eggs (Galati 1991). Population declines occur after exceptionally cold winters. Commonly associates with chickadees, brown creepers, and downy woodpeckers during the nonbreeding period.

Maximum longevity: 5.3 years (wild)

In northern Minnesota, begins nesting in mid-May; second clutch may be initiated in late June-early July (Galati 1991). Clutch size 5-11 (usually 8-9) (Terres 1980). Female incubates, about 14-15 days. Males feeds incubating female and fledglings from first brood. Young tended by both parents (both are required for successful nest), fledge at 18-19 days (may climb out of nest a couple days earlier), become independent about 2 months after egg laying; single pair may raise two broods in a single season (Galati 1991).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 19 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 19
Specimens with Barcodes: 21
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread and common.

Global Short Term Trend: Relatively stable (=10% change)

Comments: Regional variation. North American Breeding Bird Survey documented 2.7 percent annual decline in western part of range for 1966 - 1994. Significant increase (6.1 percent per year) in eastern part of range for the same period. For 1966 - 1994, four states and three Canadian provinces showed population increases (only New York was significant); three states and two provinces showed decrease (only California, Oregon, and Washington were significant; Ingold and Galati 1997). Raphael et al. (1988, cited in Ingold and Galati 1997) estimated that the population in the mid-1980s was 45 percent below historical level.

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Comments: Northern part of range may be limited by severe winters. Up to 100 percent mortality estimated locally during severe storms (Ingold and Galati 1997). HABITAT: Habitat changes such as forest thinning, lumber activities, and spruce die-off may reduce local populations. Breeding densities also known to decline in burned and logged areas, habitats with open canopies, hardwood forests, and pure stands of eastern hemlock (TSUGA MERTENSIANA) and lodgepole pine (PINUS CONTORTA). Probably has benefited from spruce reforestation in the eastern United States. No information available about the effects of tropical deforestation (Ingold and Galati 1997). PARASITISM: Uncommon host to brown-headed cowbird (MOLOTHRUS ATER). Have been known to feed young cowbirds; male may chase cowbird from territory (Ingold and Galati 1997).

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Comments: Given widespread range, protected in a large number of areas.