Ben here with the Monday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

December 13, 2021

Ben here with the Monday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

This isn't the greatest photo of a golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa), but I'm just happy to have gotten a photo at all! These tiny songbirds tend to flit about from branch to branch very quickly, especially at the moment that a camera comes into focus.

This species is one of the smallest songbirds in North America, measuring between 3-4 inches in length. The adults have a yellow streak on top of their heads, and the males have an orange patch in the middle of the yellow crown. They forage in trees and shrubs, eating insects, spiders, and insect eggs.

Golden-crowned kinglets are migratory birds that breed in Canada. While there are some areas out west or in the northeastern U.S. where they can be found year-round, throughout most of the U.S. they are only found in winter. If you'd like to spot one of these beautiful little birds, now is the time to keep your eyes peeled!

ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).

NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!