Bird of the week 2023 | Week 1

Ruby-crowned kinglet [Michael Warren]

Ruby-crowned kinglet.

It’s amazing what you might see if you look carefully. After almost three decades in Ocala, I began looking at birds. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is common in Ocala between October and April, but I only recently discovered that such a creature existed. One good place to see them is along the Florida Trail behind the Rotary Sportsplex. This bird flits around constantly and chatters loudly. The bright crown of the male is usually hidden, but this one flared up as he scolded me, as if to announce that my backyard was now his domain.