Our smallest bird is curious and unafraid

The tiny golden-crowned kinglet is lightweight, but is worthy of its mighty name

Birds come in many shapes and sizes. They evolved over the eons to fill a niche in the natural world. It is quite amazing when you let your mind go and think about how each species of bird has turned out the way they are.

We will not delve into that heady subject now, but, instead, look at the birds we have with us at this present moment in the evolution of time.

What is the smallest Newfoundland and Labrador bird?

It is true the ruby-throated hummingbird is smaller than the bird I am thinking about. The hummingbird is a relatively recently arrival in the province with a very local distribution.

The next bird up in size from a hummingbird is the golden-crowned kinglet. It is widespread and common across the island of Newfoundland and southern Labrador. It is a proper resident bird of the province.

According to my source book, The Sibley Guide to Birds, a golden-crowned kinglet weighs six grams. In comparison, the black-capped chickadee is almost twice as weighty at 11 grams.

With a name almost too big for the size of the bird, the golden-crowned kinglet is common, but operates under the radar of most outdoors people. It almost never visits bird feeders. It is almost never alone. It moves about the forest with others of its kind and chickadees.

Very curious and unafraid, bird watchers entice golden-crowned kinglets and chickadees out of the dense evergreen woods by pishing.

This is a swishing sound produced by repeatedly forcing air through clenched teeth. The sound often brings in curious birds to see what the trouble is. Often the chickadees come in first, followed by the kinglets.

Chickadees and kinglets get along like first cousins.

Kinglets and chickadees seek out the seemingly endless source of winter dormant insects, spiders and their egg cases among the needles of the evergreen trees. There is very little conflict in their food searching.

The kinglets are so lightweight that they can hover at the tips of the evergreen twigs, allowing them an opportunity to investigate areas the heavier chickadees have difficulty reaching. It is a perfect relationship.

Having more eyes to the skies for marauding hawks benefits all the birds in a feeding flock. Sometimes, redbreasted nuthatches or brown creepers travel along with the chickadee and kinglet flocks.

The call notes of the golden-crowned kinglets give away their presence in the dense forest. It is a highpitched see-see-see call. It is one of the first bird sounds birders lose the ability to hear as they grow older.

Golden-crowned kinglets are challenging to photograph because they are so hyperactive that they rarely hold still for even a full second.

Next time you are in the woods, listen for their call and try to entice them out. They are year-round gems of the Newfoundland and Labrador forest.

BIRD NEWS

The mild winter has allowed some summer birds to linger longer than they should be able to into a winter.

A yellow-throated warbler and orange-crowned warbler are thriving on a suet feeder on the lower Rennies River in east St. John’s.

There is a shortage of berries and cones this winter.

As a result, northern flickers are highly dependent on bird feeders this winter. Being naturally photogenic, many flicker images are being posted on the birding Facebook groups.

There have been reports of a few desperate robins and Bohemian waxwings seeking out the last of the fruit on ornamental hawthorn trees and wild apple trees.

The only finches that can be called common this winter are the American goldfinch. Some birdfeeders are seeing flocks of 50 or more. Among the goldfinches are a few pine siskins. Purple finch, red crossbills and evening grosbeak are present at a few feeders in low numbers.

Sharp-shinned hawks are a menace or entertainment value at the bird feeders, depending on your point of view. I think, because of low numbers of birds living in the woods this winter due to the poor food crop, the little hawks are zeroing in on bird feeders more this winter than other years.

Another effect of the mild weather noticed by birdwatchers on the Avalon Peninsula is a low numbers of winter seabirds.

Every year, a few out-ofprovince birdwatchers travel to the Avalon Peninsula during January in search of the dovekie. This little seabird is usually easy to see from shore during early winter, but not this year. I think they stayed offshore instead of coming in to feed in the icy cold surf as they usually do in January.

Likewise, common eiders are in low numbers at traditional winter locations so far. There is still time for the weather to change.

Is it just me craving a little bit of what was once considered a normal cold winter?