Ruby-crowned Kinglet    Regulus calendula

Conservation Status

General Status in Canada : Secure

COSEWIC Status : Not assessed

Breeding Bird Surveys indicate that overall North American populations have declined slightly between 1966 and 2007, but numbers are thought to be relatively stable. However, population trends are variable from region to region, and the paucity of data from much of the northern forests makes inferences difficult for the boreal region. Forestry and seismic lines created for oil and gas exploration may create habitat for Ruby-crowned Kinglets, as this species tends to prefer a mosaic of habitats that is typically in association with some edge. The habitat found along these corridors may not be as productive as they are prone to increased predation from Gray Jays (Perisoreus canadensis) and Common Ravens (Corvus corax), species that frequent such habitats. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a regular victim of collisions with lit transmission towers and other tall structures during its nocturnal migrations. In eastern North America, where significant population declines have occurred, such migration hazards may be a contributing factor.

Reference(s)

Swanson, D. L., J. L. Ingold and G. E. Wallace. 2008. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula), The Birds of North America Online, . A. Poole, Ed. Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online database: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/119