What does the Golden-crowned Kinglet song sound like?
Play the real Golden-crowned Kinglet song, the "tsee-tsee-tsee-titi-ti", and learn what to listen for.
What the Golden-crowned Kinglet song sounds like
A high-pitched, ascending series of very thin notes that accelerate into a trill. A typical song might start with 3–7 slow "tsee" notes, each higher than the last, and then a fast, jumbling trill of shorter notes. Some describe it as "see-see-see, so-so-so, see-see-see-ti-ti-ti-ti". It's a very subtle song, often difficult for people to hear, especially if they have trouble with high frequencies. Males usually sing in the early breeding season, from high in the canopy.
“tsee-tsee-tsee-titi-ti”
How to find the bird singing it
Coniferous and mixed forests, especially those with spruce, fir, and pine trees
- Size & Shape: Exceptionally small songbird (only 4 inches long) with a very short tail and thin, pointed bill. The overall coloration is olive-green on the back and pale grayish on the belly.
- Head Pattern: Head pattern is distinctive: it has a black stripe through the eye and a white eyebrow stripe above it. The crown shows a bright patch – golden-yellow in both sexes, with males having an additional orangey-red center within that yellow (usually concealed). A black border surrounds the colored crown patch, which makes the yellow stand out when visible.
- Wing Bars: Two prominent white wing bars on each wing, and the flight feathers are edged with yellow-green. There's often a dark patch between the wing bars. The combination of wing bars and tiny size is a good initial clue, as few other birds are this small with wing bars.
When you'll hear it
Winter
Many Golden-crowned Kinglets spend winter in cold northern climates and high elevations, taking refuge in coniferous forests. They often join mixed-species flocks (with chickadees, nuthatches, etc.) to forage during daylight. At night, multiple kinglets may roost together in an evergreen to share body warmth. Despite snow and frigid temperatures, they remain active, constantly foraging for dormant bugs or eggs on needle clusters and bark. In milder climates, they can also be found in deciduous woods or shrub thickets during winter.
Spring
With spring, some populations migrate from the southern parts of the range or lower elevations back to northern and montane breeding areas. By April and May, males in those regions begin singing their high-pitched songs. Kinglets pair up and start constructing their nests, often high in spruce or fir trees. During spring migration, you might see or hear them passing through woodlots and forests, often with other migrants. They continue to feed heavily to fuel breeding and egg-laying (females need to lay a large clutch).
Summer
Breeding season is in full swing in the cooler evergreen forests of the North or at high altitudes. Golden-crowned Kinglets nest relatively late (eggs often in May or June) and raise a brood of 8-9 (sometimes more) nestlings in their hanging nest. Both parents work diligently to bring tiny caterpillars and insects to their young. They may attempt a second brood in mid-summer, which is rare among small insectivorous birds. During this time, they stay high in the canopy, and their presence is known mostly by soft contact calls, as the males' singing diminishes once eggs are laid.
Fall
By fall, after breeding, Golden-crowned Kinglets leave their nesting areas in flocks, often joining other small birds as they move to wintering grounds. In many areas, kinglet numbers noticeably increase in September and October as migrants pass through. They become very active and vocal again, calling constantly as they forage through woodlands. Some migrate to lower latitudes or elevations, while others remain in northern areas and will soon form winter flocks. Their fall diet may include more eggs and larvae found under bark as insect activity wanes. Overall, fall is a transient time; you may encounter waves of kinglets in forests that weren't present in summer.
Don’t confuse it with
Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Another kinglet species often found in similar habitats, especially during migration and winter. Ruby-crowned Kinglets lack the Golden-crowned's bold head striping. Instead, Ruby-crowns are greenish-gray with a conspicuous white eye-ring and no black-and-yellow crown pattern. Males have a hidden red crown patch that is only occasionally visible when they are excited. Ruby-crowned Kinglets are slightly larger on average and tend to be a bit more olive overall. Behaviorally, Ruby-crowns flick their wings almost constantly while foraging – a notable behavior that Golden-crowned Kinglets do not do as often.
Black-capped Chickadee
Chickadees are larger (about 5-6 inches) and chunkier with a distinctly different color pattern: a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and buffy sides. Chickadees have a relatively longer tail and a thicker bill. They often flock with kinglets, but their calls (the chickadee-dee-dee and whistle "fee-bee") are much lower pitched and very different. Chickadees also move a bit slower and more methodically compared to the tiny, hyperactive kinglets.