(Click on picture to enlarge)
Photographs © Walter Bauer,
San Antonio, Texas - 1998
Field
Marks: A tiny short tailed bird. It is olive-gray above with two pale
wing-bars; male with a scarlet crown-patch (usually concealed); however shows it
when he is excited. The best mark is the conspicuous broken white eye-ring,
which gives the bird a big eyed appearance.
Voice: Note, a husky ji-dit. It has a
remarkable song for such a small bird. It starts with three or four high tee's,
then several low tew's, and ends in a repetitious chant: tee tee tee tew tew tew
teu ti-dadee, ti-dadee, ti-dadee, ti-daee and is variable.
Where found: Across Canada. Alaska.
South in the mountains to California, Arizona, New Mexico. Winters to Guatemala
and Gulf States.
Texas: Migrant throughout. Winters (sept
- may) except in the Panhandle.
Habitat: Woodlands, thickets. The most common kinglet.