Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-17
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeu
.~~Sa--AHs~GLRN COVE PARKWAY

Z aF,eor Cir. - =,
Enclosed is sketch, made of bird which
appeared during the Christmas holidays at
our feeding station.
THE shape was essentially as sketched:
Plump body fairly short tail, round and rather
large head, medium black bill.
1T was definitely green in color though
somewhat grayer than the picture. lg q
darker green above and q very green
below.
1T had two slight white bars on the wing.
1t was about the size OF house wren. decidedly
smaller than chickadee or sparrow.
The only bird we can find in the bird books
which resembles it is the white-eyed vireo
although it was decided green in color and
had no white markings about the eye.
ut also appeared to be shorter than the five
inches given as the size Of the vireo.
1T ate suet hungrily and came back on two
occasions after it was first seen. We watched
it from distance of not more than five feet,
so had clear view.
Can you tell us what it was from this
description? Very truly yours E. P. A."
The sketch. by E. W., 8 years old, was not
bad one Of the ruby-crowned kinglet.
There are two kingets that come here, but
the one mostly seen is the ruby-crowned.
The other is the golden crowned kinglet.
The golden crown is easily seen, but the
ruby crown Is mostly carried concealed
Our ruby-crowned kinglet is one Of the most
beautiful birds it is possible to conceive In
fact 1t always strikes one at first as being i'm
possible
1t is too pretty, too clean looking too pixie
like to be real.
But 1t Is a very real creature, small but
mighty, able to take zero weather in stride,
provided 1t gets enough food.
We will never forget the first time we saw
one.
1t was in the rhododendrons at the dining
room windows.
There it was, a tiny green bird which struck
us as being made of china, rather than of flesh
and feathers.
Then, zip!
1t had disappeared
The bird did this simply by fitting himself
around O leaf.
Rhody leaves are thick and leathery and give
this tiny bird all the purchase" 1t needs to do
this disappearing act
Time after time he did this, reappearing,
then suddenly vanishing. 1t was marvellous
The ruby-crowned kinglet Is Az inches long
The second little king" gold CROWN is
one-quarter Of an inch smaller
kinglets and gnatcatchers belong to the
same group, and are related, oddly enough, to
the thrushes, although their young have no
Spots as do the thruShes.
Few birds that come here eat more insects
leaf-eating larvae and plant lice than the
beautiful little kingletS.
1t Is their sheer beauty, however, that will
attract most lockers.
They have q porcelain like quality not
usual In birds
The ruby crown is not likely to be seen
unless the bird is excited or angry Some
times two OF them will flash their head color
at each other.
Kinglets are about an inch shorter than
their cousin, the chickadee.
Songs OF the kinglets are pleasant, but not
very striking. They will not be heard here
much, as the birds have gone farther North
Ey spring.
The kinglet is generally regarded as a very
happy mite Of the snowstorms In subzero
temperatures 1t is able to exist, although SO
small and covered only by slight film of
feathers.
Looking at this beautiful creature almost
j. any one would see the value of helping the
songbirds in the winter. But If not aided,
the kinglet usually manages to do pretty well
by itself, and at the same time cleans up insect
forms which might damage trees and shrubs
later.