• East view from Crissy Field overlook with old Coast Guard station on left and city on right

    Presidio of San Francisco

    California

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet

(Regulus calendula)
 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet feeds in ornamental tree on Main Post.
Will Elder, NPS
 

Natural History: The Ruby-crowned Kinglet eats insects, other invertebrates, and fruits by hovering and snatching from the tree canopies. It nests in conifer twigs, hanging above the ground. Breeding season is from mid-May to mid-August.

General Distribution: In the Presidio, this species can be found in coastal and dune scrub areas, all forest areas, and in ornamentals.

Frequency: This species is common in the summer and fall and abundant in the winter.

Identifying Characteristics: This is a tiny bird with an olive-gray above with an incomplete white ring around its eye and 2 pale bars across its wings. The male has a ruby crown. The species has a tendency to twitch.

Presidio Birds main page

Did You Know?

Fort Point, once called "Fort Winfield Scott"

In 1882, the fort now known as Fort Point was given the name "Fort Winfield Scott", a name it retained for four years before being downgraded to a sub-post of the Presidio. In 1912, the name was reused for the new coast artillery post at the Presidio, today's Fort Scott.