- Regulus calendula
Identification
9-11cm. Thin bill, broken eye ring, olive upperparts, pale olive underparts, white wing bars, yellow edges to flight feathers and tail. Male has red patch in centre of crown (not always visible).
Distribution
Most of North America
- resident in most of Utah and Nevada, as well as Southern Idaho and Northern Arizona
- winters in the southern half of the United States and Mexico
- summers in New England, Canada, and Alaska, as well as parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana
- can be seen throughout the rest of the United States when migrating
Taxonomy
Habitat
Coniferous forests.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects such as moths, beetles, ants, wasps, butterflies, caterpillars, spiders and elderberries and weed seeds. They also drink tree sap and some fruit.
Both sexes build the nest which is a hanging globe shaped cup among twigs of a pine branch. The nest is built of moss and cobwebs and lined with feathers, rootlets and soft bark. The nest can be found in a spruce, firs or pines. 5-11 (usually 7-9) eggs are laid which are white with brown spots. The eggs hatch within 12-13 days and are incubated by the female. The first young leaves the nest approximately 13 days after hatching.
