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Boreal Chickadee

Poecile hudsonicusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Titmice and Chickadees (Paridae)

Breeding Location:

Forests



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Small colonies



Breeding Population:

Fairly common



Egg Color:

White with red brown specks



Number of Eggs:

4 - 9



Incubation Days:

11 - 16



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Bark strips, mosses, plant down, lichen, animal fur and hair.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar

Overview

Boreal Chickadee: Large chickadee, brown upperparts, dark brown cap, small black bib, gray face and neck, white cheek, rufous sides, white underparts. Gray wings, tail. Short, weak flights on rapidly beating wings. Alternates several quick, shallow strokes with wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

Boreal Chickadee: Breeds from northern Alaska east to Labrador and Newfoundland, south to northern edge of U.S. Occasionally wanders southward during winter. Usually found in coniferous forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Boreal Chickadee: Four to nine white eggs with red brown specks are laid in a cavity nest made of decaying wood, grass, moss, and animal hair, usually from 1 to 15 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 14 to 18 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Boreal Chickadee: Eats variety of insects, insect eggs, and seeds. Mostly forages in conifers.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed

Vocalization

Boreal Chickadee: Song is short and warbled. Call is a drawling "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" or "chick-chee-day-day."

Similar Species

Boreal Chickadee: Gray-headed Chickadee has more white on cheeks, gray-brown cap, longer tail, paler flanks, and gray-brown upperparts. Black-capped Chickadee has black cap, pale gray upperparts, large white cheek patch extending onto hind neck, and white-edged tertials and secondaries.

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Family Titmice (Paridae)_blue
Species Poecile hudsonicus
Length5 - 6 Inches
Wingspan8 Inches

Boreal Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee: Large chickadee, brown upperparts, dark brown cap, small black bib, gray face and neck, white cheek, rufous sides, white underparts. Gray wings, tail. Short, weak flights on rapidly beating wings. Alternates several quick, shallow strokes with wings pulled to sides.

● Song: "chick-a-dee-dee-dee", "chick-chee-day-day"

● Foraging & Feeding: Boreal Chickadee: Eats variety of insects, insect eggs, and seeds. Mostly forages in conifers.

● Breeding & nesting: Boreal Chickadee: Four to nine white eggs with red brown specks are laid in a cavity nest made of decaying wood, grass, moss, and animal hair, usually from 1 to 15 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 14 to 18 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Boreal Chickadee: Gray-headed Chickadee has more white on cheeks, gray-brown cap, longer tail, paler flanks, and gray-brown upperparts. Black-capped Chickadee has black cap, pale gray upperparts, large white cheek patch extending onto hind neck, and white-edged tertials and secondaries.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering short flights on rapidly beating wings. Alternates pulling wings to body with several quick shallow strokes.
Boreal Chickadee Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Boreal Chickadee: Breeds from northern Alaska east to Labrador and Newfoundland, south to northern edge of U.S. Occasionally wanders southward during winter. Usually found in coniferous forests.
BreedingMonogamous, Small colonies
PopulationFairly common
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight0.3 Ounces