Ruby-crowned Kinglet
(Regulus calendula)

Overview

Summary

© Jukka Jantunen (flickr.com/photos/jukka_jantunen)
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a widespread and very abundant bird in Canada's mature coniferous and mixed forests. Populations are monitored by both the Christmas Bird Count and the Breeding Bird Survey. Considering both sources, the species is best assessed as having shown little overall change in abundance relative to the early 1970s. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1970-2016)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation

General nesting period in Canada

Conservation and management

An abundant and widespread species with a stable population, there are currently few conservation concerns for this species. However, although it is relatively tolerant of human intrusion, logging and fire are known to reduce abundance locally, at least temporarily (Swanson et al. 2008). Causes of apparent regional population declines are unknown (Swanson et al. 2008), although the species is known to respond positively to spruce budworm outbreaks (Venier and Holmes 2010) and the decreasing numbers may be a result of lower budworm populations.

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Swanson, D.L., J.L. Ingold and G.E. Wallace. 2008. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Swanson, D.L., J.L. Ingold and G.E. Wallace. 2008. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Venier, L.A. and S.B. Holmes. 2010. A review of the interaction between forest birds and eastern spruce budworm. Environmental Reviews 18:191-207. Venier, L.A. and S.B. Holmes. 2010. A review of the interaction between forest birds and eastern spruce budworm. Environmental Reviews 18:191-207. (Link)