A small chickadee with distinctive chestnut-rust back. Endemic to Pacific Northwest coniferous forests.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The chestnut-backed chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family, native to western North America.
Source: Wikipedia — Chestnut-backed chickadee Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Black cap and bib, white cheeks, and a bright chestnut back and flanks (flank color varies by region).
Similar species. Other chickadees have gray or brown backs without the bright chestnut; the rich rufous back is diagnostic.
Voice. A very high, fast, husky 'tsick-a-dee-dee'; lacks a whistled song.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects, seeds, occasional fruits; caches food in fall.
Behavior. A chickadee of moist Pacific coastal conifer forest; the most richly colored chickadee, foraging high in damp Douglas-fir and redwood canopy.
§ Range
Pacific Northwest
§ Habitat
Coniferous forests
§ Threats
Pacific Northwest forest loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the chestnut-backed chickadee is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant native conifers. Support Pacific Northwest forest conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Chestnut-backed chickadee
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Poecile rufescens
- IUCN Red List — search for Poecile rufescens
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Poecile rufescens
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
