It’s a sign that things are about to change. As the Neotropical warbler migration reaches its climax, other small songbirds like this Ruby-crowned Kinglet are beginning to make their southbound movements through the lower Susquehanna valley. For a kinglet, the autumn journey is greatly abbreviated compared to that of the Neotropical species. While the warblers and their traveling companions including vireos and flycatchers are primarily headed to the tropical climate zone for winter, kinglets spend the cold season in the temperate zone, an area encompassing most of the the continental United States and southern Canada. These tiny birds feed mostly on small invertebrates which, particularly during the winter months, they find in spaces among the bark of mature trees.
