Golden-crowned kinglets are tiny songbirds that are found across North America. They are active, acrobatic little birds that are constantly on the move as they search for food. Although they are small, weighing only about 5-8 grams, they have voracious appetites and must consume a tremendous amount of food each day. This raises the question – do golden-crowned kinglets utilize bird feeders as a food source?
Overview of golden-crowned kinglets
The golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa) is a tiny songbird that measures only 4-5 inches in length. They have olive-gray upperparts, white underparts, and a bold yellow-orange crown stripe on their head. The male and female look identical. These tiny acrobats breed mostly in coniferous forests across Canada and the western United States. They migrate south for the winter across most of the continental United States and even down into Mexico.
Golden-crowned kinglets are almost constantly active during the daytime hours as they move through vegetation searching for small insects and spiders to eat. They have a very fast metabolism and must consume a tremendous amount for their size to maintain their high activity level. Estimates indicate they may eat 80% or more of their body mass in insects each day. This requires them to be constantly foraging.
Diet and foraging behavior
The diet of golden-crowned kinglets consists almost exclusively of small insects and spiders. Some of their common prey includes:
- Spiders
- Beetles
- Flies
- Aphids
- Caterpillars
- Scale insects
- Moth eggs
- Bark lice
To find these tiny prey items, golden-crowned kinglets forage actively in vegetation of all levels, from the canopy down to ground level. They move quickly and almost incessantly as they glean small insects from leaves and twigs. This constant activity requires them to consume very large quantities of food daily.
In the canopy, they probe into crevices in bark, hang upside down to pick insects off the underside of branches, and hover briefly to grab prey off foliage. Lower in bushes and shrubs, they glean prey off leaves and twigs while moving through the vegetation. Golden-crowned kinglets also spend time foraging on or near the ground, searching through leaf litter and low vegetation for food.
Throughout the year, they are constantly on the hunt for their next bite to eat. This behavior raises the question of whether backyard bird feeders might provide a useful source of supplemental food.
Do golden-crowned kinglets eat seeds or visit feeders?
Golden-crowned kinglets are considered almost exclusively insectivorous. This means their diet consists almost entirely of insects and other small invertebrates. They are not seed-eating birds. However, there is some evidence that golden-crowned kinglets may occasionally supplement their diet with seeds and other plant material:
- Analysis of stomach contents has found small amounts of seeds and plant material on occasion.
- They have been observed eating sumac fruits and berries rarely during winter.
- Their close relative, the ruby-crowned kinglet, is known to sometimes eat fruit and seeds.
So while seeds and plant material make up a very small fraction of their overall diet, golden-crowned kinglets do seem able to adapt their diet as needed to include non-insect food sources. This suggests they may be flexible enough to visit bird feeders for supplementary food during times when their insect food sources are scarce.
Observations at feeders
There are occasional reports of golden-crowned kinglets visiting bird feeders, especially during migration and winter:
- They have been observed eating at suet feeders on rare occasions.
- One study found golden-crowned kinglets in winter ate at suet feeders with insect larvae.
- They may pick at fruits and berries at platform feeders.
- Some have eaten at nyjer seed feeders.
- Their small size may allow them to eat at specialized “kinlet” feeders with small mesh.
These observations indicate that in certain situations, such as harsh winters when insect prey is scarce, golden-crowned kinglets may supplement their diet by visiting feeders. However, they are not regular feeder birds. Feeding at bird feeders does not make up a significant portion of their diet overall.
Food Source | Estimated Proportion of Diet |
---|---|
Insects and spiders | 90-100% |
Fruit and seeds | 0-10% |
Attracting golden-crowned kinglets to feeders
While golden-crowned kinglets are not regular feeder visitors, you may be able to attract them by providing the right foods:
Suet feeders
Suet feeders with insect larvae or mealworms are your best bet to attract golden-crowned kinglets. Make sure the suet has a fine, small mesh size that allows access for their tiny bills.
Fruit feeders
They may eat small fruits like raisins or currants at platform feeders periodically.
Nyjer feeders
There are a few reports of golden-crowned kinglets eating at nyjer (thistle) feeders, likely opportunistically picking out small seeds.
Kinlet feeders
Specialized “kinlet feeders” with very small mesh may allow access for golden-crowned kinglets while excluding larger birds. These can be stocked with suet, mealworms, or fine seed.
In addition to feeders, make sure to provide natural habitat that attracts insect prey, such as native plants and flowering shrubs. This will be more effective at attracting golden-crowned kinglets than feeders alone. But in winter, feeders may provide a helpful supplemental food source when insect availability is low.
Conclusion
Golden-crowned kinglets are highly insectivorous birds that forage actively in foliage of all levels for small insects and spiders. They do not subsist on seeds or regularly visit bird feeders. However, they may supplement their diet with some seeds and fruits, especially in winter when insect prey is scarce. There are occasional observations of golden-crowned kinglets eating at suet, fruit, nyjer, or specialized “kinlet” feeders. While feeders alone are unlikely to attract golden-crowned kinglets, providing suet or insect feeders, along with native plants that attract insects, may allow you to occasionally observe these energetic little birds in your backyard during migration or winter. With their tiny size, colorful crown stripe, and almost incessant movement, seeing a golden-crowned kinglet in your yard would be a special treat.