SEPTEMBER EXTRA 2020 birdsandblooms.com 11
FROM LEFT: GAIL BUQUOI; KARLIE LARSON
Forest
Dwellers
hickadeesarevery
verbosebirds.They
singfee-beewhen
amorous.Theyscold
chick-a-dee,addingmoredeesthe
highertheiranxiety.Andwhen
theriskisacute,suchasasoaring
hawkoverhead,theyshriek.
“Thatshriekmeans‘freeze’to
theflock,”saysArchMcCallum,
aretiredbiologyprofessorand
theleadexpertonmountain
chickadeesfortheCornellLabof
Ornithology’sBirdsofTheWorld.
IfyouliveintheMountainWest,
avocalblack,whiteandgraybird
mightbeablack-cappedchickadee
oritsclosestcousin,amountain
chickadee.Thetwoaresimilar
insize,about 4 incheslong,with
largeheads,longtailsandsmall
bills.Bothhaveaprominentblack
cap,whitecheeks,lightgraytobuff
sides,andablackthroatpatch,but
onlymountainchickadeeshavea
whitestreakabovetheireyes.
Mountainchickadeeslayeggs
inwoodpeckerholesandother
cavitiesthattheylinewithmoss
andscavengedfur.Theyuse
smallnestboxes,too.Ifyouhear
ahisscomingfromabirdhouse,
itmightbeamountainchickadee
mimickingthesoundofasnake
todeteranintruder.
Theeggsaredullwhitewithred
spots.Ittakesmorethanthree
weeksforchickstohatchand
fledge.Iftheadultsneedtofetch
foodduringthattime,theycoverC
THE FEEDthe eggs or hatchlings with a fur
“blanket” to hide them.
“Mountain chickadees live in
impregnable places behind a lot of
wood where the young hang out as
long as possible because it’s safe,”
Arch says. “When they fly out, it’s
full-bore. They’re really ready!”
A flock of mountain chickadees,
called a banditry, is typically up to
three mated pairs plus several
juveniles. Interestingly, the young
birds are usually not the offspring
of the pairs in the banditry. The
only time mountain chickadees
migrate is when they leave their
mom and dad to find another flock,
though they’ll move temporarily
downslope during a harsh winter.
Flocks readily come to feeders
for sunflower seeds. They approach
one at a time, grabbing a seed and
carrying it to a nearby branch.
Holding the seed with its feet, the
bird pokes decisively at the seam
until it breaks apart; the bird then
eats the nutritious nugget inside
or stashes it for a future meal.
“Mountain chickadees cache
their finds in the bark and needles
of trees and on the ground,” Arch
says. “I’ve seen them fly straight
to a place under a tree and pull out
a seed. They have special memory
for where they’ve put seeds. Their
survival depends on it.”
These little sprites are full of life
and fun to watch. They will make
you smile as they frolic around a
feeder and then fly off together.THERE’S NO PLACE
LIKE HOME
While black-capped
chickadees live in deciduous
forests, mountain chickadees
prefer to congregate in
conifers in western forests
from Canada to Texas.YEAR-ROUND TUNES
Chickadees are nonmigratory,
staying within their ranges all
year. A mountain chickadee’s
buzzy call is distinguished
from the black-capped by
its harsher tone.Be on the lookout for the energy that a banditry
of mountain chickadees brings. BY LISA BALLARD
Mountain
chickadees are
quite popular here.
I enjoy watching
them through my
window—I can
always tell it’s them
by their call.”
Karlie Larson
SPIRIT LAKE, IDAHO