Bird Guide

Common Firecrest vs Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Common Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Tiny6 gForest

The common firecrest is a small plump bird, 9 cm (3.5 in) in length with a wingspan of 13–16 cm (5.1–6.3 in), and weighs 4–7 grams (0.14–0.25 oz). It has bright olive-green upperparts with a bronze-coloured patch on each shoulder, and whitish underparts washed with brownish-grey on the breast and flanks. It has two white wingbars, a tiny black pointed bill, and brownish-black legs. The head pattern is striking, with a black eye stripe, long white supercilium, and a crest which is bright yellow in the female and mainly orange in the male. Voice: The contact call is three or four thin high notes, similar to that of goldcrest, but slightly lower in pitch, zit-zit-zit rather than see-see-see. The song is a succession of call notes in a longer and slightly more varied sequence.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Common Firecrest
Recorded by Philippe_Grange · Nocturnal flight call · Arrondissement de la Roche-sur-Yon (near La Roche-sur-Yon), Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France · CC0
Photo: Alexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Corthylio calendula

Tiny8 gForest

The ruby-crowned kinglet is a very small bird, being 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long, having a wingspan of 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in), and weighing 5 to 10 g (0.2 to 0.4 oz). It has gray-green upperparts and olive-buff underparts. It has two white wingbars and a broken white eye ring. The wingbar on the greater secondary coverts (closer to the wing-tip) is wider, and is next to a dark band. The kinglet has a relatively plain face and head, although the male has a scarlet-red crown patch, which is usually concealed by the surrounding feathers. Voice: The ruby-crowned kinglet's vocalizations are remarkably loud and complex for its size. Its song can be divided into three main parts: a series of high pitched notes (zee-zee-zee or tee-tee-tee), two to five low trills (turr or tu), and a repeated three note "galloping" phrase (tee-da-leet, tee-da-leet).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Song · Miesville Ravine Park Reserve, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Claude Lyneis · CC0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Firecrest and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.