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Kinglet
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| Kinglets | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) in Japan | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Passeri |
| Parvorder: | Muscicapida |
| Family: | Regulidae Vigors, 1825 |
| Genera | |
A kinglet is a small bird in the family Regulidae. Species in this family were formerly classified with the Old World warblers. "Regulidae" is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and refers to the coloured crowns of adult birds. This family has representatives in North America and Eurasia. There are six species in this family; one, the Madeira firecrest (Regulus madeirensis), was only recently split from the common firecrest as a separate species. The ruby-crowned kinglet differs sufficiently in its voice and plumage to be afforded its own genus, Corthylio.
Description
[edit]Kinglets are among the smallest of all passerines, ranging in size from 8 to 11 cm (3 to 4.5 in) and weighing 6–8 g (0.21–0.28 oz); the sexes are the same size. They have medium-length wings and tails, and small needle-like bills. The plumage is overall grey-green, offset by pale wingbars, and the tail tip is incised. Five species have a single stiff feather covering the nostrils, but in the ruby-crowned kinglet this is replaced by several short, stiff bristles. Most kinglets have distinctive head markings, and the males possess a colourful crown patch. In the females, the crown is duller and yellower. The long feathers forming the central crown stripe can be erected; they are inconspicuous most of the time, but are used in courtship and territorial displays when the raised crest is very striking.[1]
There are two species of different genera in North America with largely overlapping distributions, and two in Eurasia that also have a considerable shared range. In each continent, one species (goldcrest in Eurasia and golden-crowned kinglet in North America) is a conifer specialist; these have deeply grooved pads on their feet for perching on conifer twigs and a long hind toe and claw for clinging vertically. The two generalists, ruby-crowned kinglet and common firecrest, hunt more in flight and have smoother soles, shorter hind claws and a longer tail.[1]
Taxonomy
[edit]The kinglets are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers but frequently given family status,[2] especially as recent research showed that, despite superficial similarities, the crests are phylogenetically remote from the warblers.[3][4] The name of the family derives from the Latin regulus, a diminutive of rex, "a king",[5] and refer to the characteristic orange or yellow crests of adult kinglets (aside from the red crest of Corthylio). The kinglets were allocated to the warbler genus Sylvia by English naturalist John Latham in 1790,[6] but moved to their current genus by French zoologist Georges Cuvier in 1800.[7]
Most members of the genus Regulus are similar in size and colour pattern. The exception is the ruby-crowned kinglet, the largest species, which has a strongly red crest and no black crown stripes. It has distinctive vocalisations, and is different enough from the Old World kinglets and the other American species, the golden-crowned kinglet, to be assigned to a separate genus, Corthylio.[1][8][9]
Species in taxonomic order
[edit]- Genus Corthylio:
- Ruby-crowned kinglet (C. calendula)
- Genus Regulus:
- Common firecrest (R. ignicapilla)
- Madeira firecrest (R. madeirensis)
- Golden-crowned kinglet (R. satrapa)
- Flamecrest (R. goodfellowi)
- Goldcrest (R. regulus)
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Kinglets are birds of the Nearctic and Palearctic realms, with representatives in temperate North America, Europe and Asia, northernmost Africa, Macaronesia and the Himalayas. They are adapted to conifer forests, although there is a certain amount of adaptability and most species will use other habitats, particularly during migration. In Macaronesia, they are adapted to laurisilva and tree heaths.[1]
Behaviour
[edit]Diet and feeding
[edit]The tiny size and rapid metabolism of kinglets means that they must constantly forage in order to provide their energy needs. They will continue feeding even when nest building. Kinglets prevented from feeding may lose a third of their body weight in twenty minutes and may starve to death in an hour. Kinglets are insectivores, preferentially feeding on prey such as aphids and springtails that have soft cuticles. Prey is generally gleaned from the branches and leaves of trees, although in some circumstances prey may be taken on the wing or from the leaf litter on the ground.
Life cycle
[edit]Kinglet nests are small, very neat cups, almost spherical in shape, made of moss and lichen held together with spiderwebs and hung from twigs near the end of a high branch of a conifer. They are lined with hair and feathers, and a few feathers are placed over the opening. These characteristics provide good insulation against the cold environment. The female lays 7 to 12 eggs, which are white or pale buff, some having fine dark brown spots. Because the nest is small, they are stacked in layers. The female incubates; she pushes her legs (which are well supplied with blood vessels, hence warm) down among the eggs. A unique feature of kinglets is the "size hierarchy" among eggs, with early-laid eggs being smaller than later ones.[10]
Eggs hatch asynchronously after 15 to 17 days. The young stay in the nest for 19 to 24 days. After being fed, nestlings make their way down to the bottom of the nest, pushing their still-hungry siblings up to be fed in their turn (but also to be cold).
Kinglets are the most fecund and shortest-living of all altricial birds,[11] and probably the shortest-lived apart from a few smaller galliform species. Adult mortality for the goldcrest is estimated at over 80 percent per year[12] and the maximum lifespan is only six years.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Martens, Jochen; Päckert, Martin "Family Regulidae (Kinglets & Firecrests)" pp. 330–349 in Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Christie, David A., eds. (2006). Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4.
- ^ Monroe, Burt L. (February 1992). "The new DNA-DNA avian classification: What's it all about?". British Birds. 85 (2): 53–61.
- ^ Barker, F Keith; Barrowclough, George F; Groth, Jeff G (2002). "A phylogenetic hypothesis for passerine birds: taxonomic and biogeographic implications of an analysis of nuclear DNA sequence data". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 269 (1488): 295–308. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1883. PMC 1690884. PMID 11839199.
- ^ Spicer, Greg S; Dunipace, Leslie (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of songbirds (Passerifor-mes) inferred from mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 30 (2): 325–335. Bibcode:2004MolPE..30..325S. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00193-3. PMID 14715224. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
- ^ Brookes, Ian, ed. (2006). The Chambers Dictionary, ninth edition. Edinburgh: Chambers. pp. 223, 735, 1277. ISBN 978-0-550-10185-3.
- ^ Latham, John (1790). Index ornithologicus, sive, Systema ornithologiae, complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates, adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c (in Latin). Vol. ii. London: Leigh & Sotheby. p. 548.
- ^ Cuvier, Georges (1800). Lecons d'anatomie comparee de M. G. Cuvier, Recueillies et publiees sous ses yeux, par C. Dumeril et Duvernoy (in French). Vol. 1, table 2. Paris: Crochard et cie.
- ^ Chesser, R.T.; Billerman, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Hernández-Baños, B.E.; Kratter, A.W.; Lovette, I.J.; Mason, N.A.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.J.; Stotz, D.F.; Winker, K. (2021). "Sixty-second Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds". Ornithology. 138 (ukab037). doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukab037.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Dapple-throats, sugarbirds, fairy-bluebirds, kinglets, Elachura, hyliotas, wrens, gnatcatchers". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ Haftorn, Svein; "Clutch size, intraclutch egg size variation, and breeding strategy in the Goldcrest Regulus regulus"; in Journal of Ornithology, Volume 127, Number 3 (1986), 291-301.
- ^ Sibly Richard M., Witt, Christopher C., Wright, Natalie A., Venditti, Chris, Jetze, Walter and Brown, James H.; "Energetics, lifestyle, and reproduction in birds" Archived 19 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 109 (27); pp. 10937-10941
- ^ In Ricklefs, R.E.; "Sibling competition, hatching asynchrony, incubation period, and lifespan in altricial birds"; in Power, Dennis M. (editor); Current Ornithology. Vol. 11. ISBN 9780306439902
- ^ Wasser, D. E. and Sherman, P.W.; "Avian longevities and their interpretation under evolutionary theories of senescence" in Journal of Zoology 2 November 2009
External links
[edit]- Kinglet videos on the Internet Bird Collection
Kinglet
View on GrokipediaPhysical description
Size and morphology
Kinglets are among the smallest passerine birds, typically measuring 8–11 cm in body length and weighing 4–10 g across the family, with some geographic variation in size across populations.[10][11][12] Their compact, rounded build supports a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, aiding thermoregulation in cold environments despite their diminutive stature. These birds exhibit short wings with a span of 13–18 cm, enabling precise maneuvers in dense foliage, and a short, rounded or skinny tail that contributes to balance during agile perching.[10][12] The bill is notably thin and pointed, measuring just a few millimeters in length, specialized for probing crevices to extract small insects and larvae.[2][10] Their legs are sturdy and relatively strong for their size, with brown to yellowish-brown feet featuring anisodactyl toes that facilitate hopping and clinging to slender branches.[2] Kinglets possess relatively large heads in proportion to their body, housing prominent eyes that enhance visual acuity for detecting prey in shaded understories.[10][2]Plumage and markings
Kinglets in the genus Regulus exhibit plumage characterized by predominantly olive-green or greenish-gray upperparts and paler, whitish or buffy underparts, providing effective camouflage among foliage.[11][10] Distinctive markings include bold white wing bars—typically two prominent ones—and facial features such as eye rings or stripes; for instance, the ruby-crowned kinglet (Corthylio calendula) features a broken white eye-ring and contrasting blackish bar adjacent to the wing bars, while the golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa) displays black-and-white face stripes with a black eyebrow and white supercilium.[13][10][14] A key feature across species is the colorful crown patch, which is erectile and often concealed but raised during displays; these crowns vary in hue, appearing golden-yellow in the goldcrest (Regulus regulus), ruby-red in the ruby-crowned kinglet (Corthylio calendula), and lemon-yellow to orange in the golden-crowned kinglet.[15][13][10][14] Sexual dimorphism is most evident in the crown coloration and intensity, with males possessing brighter, more vivid patches used in courtship displays, while females show duller versions. In the goldcrest, males have a yellow crown with an orange central stripe, contrasting with the all-yellow crown of females; similarly, male ruby-crowned kinglets display a scarlet crown patch absent in females, and male golden-crowned kinglets exhibit a bolder orange-centered crown compared to the solid yellow of females.[15][2] Outside the crown, the sexes are generally similar in overall plumage tone and markings.[16] Juvenile plumage closely resembles that of adults but is less vibrant, with reduced coloration in the crown and other features to aid in blending with surroundings during early development. Juveniles of the goldcrest lack the bright crown feathers entirely, showing a duller overall appearance with a less conspicuous white eye-ring and narrow dark interior ring; ruby-crowned kinglet young have brownish upperparts, off-white wing bars, and no red crown patch, with males developing it later; likewise, golden-crowned kinglet juveniles feature a grayish-brown crown without yellow tones and looser, more filamentous feathering.[17][2][18] These young birds undergo a post-juvenile molt to attain adult-like plumage within the first year.[19] Seasonal variations in kinglet plumage are minimal, with most species retaining similar coloration year-round, though slight fading may occur in non-breeding plumage due to wear. All Regulus species undergo a complete post-breeding molt into fresh basic plumage in late summer or early fall, followed by a pre-winter molt in some cases, but these changes primarily refresh feather quality rather than alter patterns or hues significantly; for example, the goldcrest shows no marked seasonal color shifts, maintaining its olive-green tones across seasons.[17][15]Taxonomy
Classification and phylogeny
Kinglets comprise the family Regulidae within the order Passeriformes, suborder Passeri, infraorder Passerida, and are classified in their own superfamily Reguloidea. Molecular phylogenies position Regulidae near the base of the Passerida clade, with recent genome-wide analyses (as of 2025) indicating a sister relationship to the combined clade of Certhioidea (creepers) and Muscicapoidea, based on whole-genome data across oscine birds.[20][21] Earlier studies had allied them with Sylvioidea (Old World warblers and allies) or solely Certhioidea, but comprehensive phylogenomic reconstructions through 2025 have clarified their distinct early-diverging status within the largest avian radiation.[22][23] The family encompasses two genera: Regulus, which includes five Eurasian and western North American species, and Corthylio, comprising a single species, the ruby-crowned kinglet (Corthylio calendula). The separation of Corthylio from Regulus was formalized in 2019–2021 based on substantial genetic divergence (cytochrome b sequences showing deep splits) and vocal differences, including distinct song structures that lack phylogenetic signal shared with Regulus taxa.[21] This reclassification reflects the ancient divergence between New World and Old World lineages within Regulidae, supported by mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses. Evolutionary origins of Regulidae trace to an ancient lineage that diverged approximately 20–30 million years ago during the Miocene, coinciding with cooling climates that likely influenced adaptations such as the elaborate crown feathers for thermoregulation or intraspecific signaling. Fossil-calibrated phylogenies estimate the crown age of the family around 23–25 million years ago, placing its radiation early in Passerida diversification following the Eocene-Oligocene transition. These adaptations underscore the family's specialization for coniferous forest niches in temperate and boreal zones. Taxonomic stability has prevailed since 2021, with no major revisions to Regulidae in the IOC World Bird List (versions 11.2–15.1) or AOS North American Checklist supplements through 2025, affirming the current generic and familial boundaries amid ongoing passerine phylogenomic refinements.[24][25] The family totals six species across its genera.List of species
The family Regulidae comprises six extant species, divided between two genera: five in Regulus and one in Corthylio.[26]| Common Name | Scientific Name | Distinguishing Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | Olive-green upperparts with paler underparts; bright yellow crown stripe bordered by black lines in both sexes, more vivid in males.[17] |
| Common Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla | Similar to goldcrest but with yellower overall plumage; orange-yellow crown bordered by black stripes, prominent black eyebrow, and bronze shoulder patches.[27] |
| Madeira Firecrest | Regulus madeirensis | Duller version of common firecrest with greener upperparts and less bronze on wings; crown orange-yellow with black borders, but more subdued coloration overall.[28] |
| Flamecrest | Regulus goodfellowi | Vibrant olive upperparts with white eye-ring around black eye-patch; flame-orange crown patch in males, bordered by yellow and black, giving a fiery appearance.[29] |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | Pale olive above and grayish below; bold black-and-white face stripes, yellow crown with orange center in males, and two white wingbars.[10] |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Corthylio calendula | Drab olive-gray upperparts with buffy-yellow underparts; prominent white eye-ring, two white wingbars, and a hidden ruby-red crown patch in males that flares during displays.[11] |