Migrating Goldcrests (Kinglets?)

[Bobbie Ireland]

I did not know these little guys migrated. But if Hummingbirds do, I suppose these can too. Is the same true of "your" Kinglets? As often occurs in Ireland, Northern birds (Scandinavia) head here for our milder winters. Pleased to see they are doing better this year. (A 20p piece [coin] is about the size of a quarter... maybe smaller.)

Autumn Gold
At the mass of a 20p piece, you'd be forgiven for wondering how Goldcrests managed to get across the North Sea at all. But migrate they do and after a very poor showing last autumn, this October has seen a return to form for this diminutive traveler. As any of you who were out birding the east side of the country over the weekend will testify, the easterly airflow has brought in huge numbers of Goldcrests...

http://blx1.bto.org/bt-dailyresults/results/s424-20-10.html

[Patti from Kentucky]

I did not know these little guys migrated. But if Hummingbirds do, I suppose these can too. Is the same true of "your" Kinglets? As often occurs in Ireland, Northern birds (Scandinavia) head here for our milder winters. Pleased to see they are doing better this year. (A 20p piece [coin] is about the size of a quarter... maybe smaller.)

Yes, they migrate, but like yours, not necessarily to the neotropics like so many North American birds.  In fact Golden-crowned Kinglets can manage to scrape out a living in the winter in the Maine woods (Bernd Heinrich talks about this in his book Winter World).  We see Ruby-crowned Kinglets who visit us in Kentucky only in the winter.

[Bobbie Ireland]

Yes, they migrate, but like yours, not necessarily to the neotropics like so many North American birds.  In fact Golden-crowned Kinglets can manage to scrape out a living in the winter in the Maine woods (Bernd Heinrich talks about this in his book Winter World).  We see Ruby-crowned Kinglets who visit us in Kentucky only in the winter.

Thanks, for that, Patti. I guess the smaller they are, the more amazing migration is. Imagine them making it through the winter as far north as Maine.