Golden-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglets are common residents in Washington. Mountain populations disperse to lower elevations during the winter, when they are probably joined by migrants from the Canadian interior. These kinglets are found across much of North America and winter across almost all of the United States. I banded this individual on 26 February 2021. At first glance, this bird’s yellow crown seemed to indicate this bird to be a female. Actually the bird is a male, with its scarlet crown feathers almost completely hidden by the yellow ones. Determining kinglet gender should be done with care.