Hi everyone,
I found this very strange-looking Ruby-crowned Kinglet today in the Ken Mercer Sportspark. It had all the Ruby-crowned kinglet common features (wing bars, eye-ring, red crown, lighter colored feet, super fast movements), except for the beak. The beak was exposed, lacking feathering around it. It made the bird look like a juvenile. My question is, would there be a juvenile at this time of year and if so, would he show a ruby-crowned? If it is an adult, what happened to its beak? Is it molting? Does it have a disease? I would love to get some of your insights.
To see photos of the bird, here is the link to my ebird listing:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S77026598
Thank you,
Isabelle