Golden-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet has surged: up 11× on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) is a North American member of the Kinglets (Regulidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 3.5–4.5 in long (9–11 cm) — a tiny songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 784 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 30 states, most concentrated in the Northern Pacific Rainforest.
- Family
- Regulidae · Forest birds
Notable Golden-crowned Kinglet Trends
No notable trend signals for Golden-crowned Kinglet. See the full index history below.
Golden-crowned Kinglet Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Golden-crowned Kinglet is projected to rise about 21% by 2029 — from 0.55 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.66 (95% range 0.42–0.91). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±57.8%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.64 | 0.39 | 0.88 |
| 2026 | 0.64 | 0.40 | 0.89 |
| 2027 | 0.65 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| 2028 | 0.66 | 0.41 | 0.90 |
| 2029 | 0.66 | 0.42 | 0.91 |
Where the Golden-crowned Kinglet Is Detected
BBS routes recording Golden-crowned Kinglet, sized by most recent count.
Golden-crowned Kinglet Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +73% | 1983 | 58 |
| Arizona | +48% | 1995 | 5 |
| California | +592% | 1970 | 95 |
| Colorado | -20% | 1985 | 41 |
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | +832% | 1975 | 29 |
| Maine | -18% | 1969 | 65 |
| Maryland | +144% | 1995 | 5 |
| Massachusetts | +266% | 1990 | 9 |
| Michigan | +465% | 1977 | 40 |
| Minnesota | +517% | 1971 | 24 |
| Montana | 11× | 1971 | 29 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New Hampshire | +176% | 1968 | 16 |
| New Jersey | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New Mexico | -74% | 1987 | 9 |
| New York | +205% | 1968 | 47 |
| North Carolina | +7% | 1987 | 8 |
| Ohio | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oregon | -15% | 1970 | 86 |
| Pennsylvania | -17% | 1982 | 29 |
| South Dakota | -42% | 1992 | 10 |
| Tennessee | +231% | 1991 | 3 |
| Utah | -8% | 1992 | 18 |
| Vermont | +186% | 1970 | 19 |
| Washington | +22% | 1970 | 73 |
| West Virginia | +363% | 1976 | 13 |
| Wisconsin | +103% | 1968 | 29 |
| Wyoming | -9% | 1981 | 19 |
Golden-crowned Kinglet Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | +27% | 1987 | 5 |
| BCR 4 | +85% | 1986 | 23 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +63% | 1970 | 148 |
| Great Basin | +32% | 1970 | 56 |
| Northern Rockies | +693% | 1971 | 102 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +633% | 1968 | 91 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | +150% | 1973 | 17 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +113% | 1968 | 123 |
| Sierra Nevada | -9% | 1972 | 37 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +99% | 1982 | 71 |
| Badlands and Prairies | -60% | 1982 | 12 |
| Appalachian Mountains | 24× | 1973 | 72 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | +195% | 1988 | 6 |
| Coastal California | +198% | 1975 | 13 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -13% | 1997 | 4 |
Golden-crowned Kinglet Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 1015% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.