Poecile gambeli
The Mountain Chickadee breeds at higher elevations than all other chickadees. Largely restricted to the Rocky Mountain region, where it is the most common chickadee, the Mountain Chickadee routinely nests at 8000-10,000 ft. (2400-3000 m). In winter, these residents band together with other birds to forage in mixed flocks, at times close to timberline. It is more common, however, for them to move down to the plains for winter. The scientific name gambeli honors William Gambel, a 19th-century ornithologist who died of typhoid fever in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the age of 28. 'Chickadee' is an onomatopoeic derivation from these birds' calls. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: black cap and bib; white eyebrow; black eye line; white cheek; gray upperparts and tail; light gray underparts. Size: L 51/4 in. (13 cm). Range: very common to common resident throughout the Rockies. Habitat: coniferous forests, especially old- growth spruce-fir forests, and occasionally shrubby areas, aspen forests and urban areas in the montane and the subalpine. Nesting: in a natural cavity or abandoned woodpecker nest; can excavate a cavity in soft, rotting wood; lines the nest with fur, feathers, moss and grass; incubates 5-9 eggs for up to 14 days. Feeding: gleans vegetation, branches and the ground for small insects and spiders; visits backyard feeders; also eats conifer seeds and invertebrate eggs. Voice: song is a sweet, clear, whistled fee-bee-bay; call is chick a-dee a-dee a-dee. Similar Species: Black-capped Chickadee: lacks the white eyebrow and the black eye line. Boreal Chickadee: gray-brown cap and flanks. Chestnut-backed Chickadee : rusty back and flanks; dark brown cap. |
