The boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus ) is a small passerine songbird in the tit family Paridae. It is found in the boreal forests of Canada and the northern United States and remains within this range for the entirety of the year. Its year round residence within these forests is where this bird derives its name from. This bird is known for its high pitched trill patterns used in communication with other birds and food storage habits in preparation for winter months.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Monogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
Flocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withAdults are 12.5–14.5 cm (4.9–5.7 in) long with a weight of 7–12.4 g (0.25–0.44 oz). They have grey-brown upperparts with a brown cap and greyish wings and tail; their face is mainly grey with white on the sides. Their underparts are white with brown on the flanks and a black throat. They have a short dark bill, short wings and a long notched tail. Their flight consists of brief gliding patterns followed by fast and bouncy wing beats as they travel through the air.
These birds forage on conifer branches or probe into the bark, gleaning insects and foraging for conifer seeds, which may be stored in preparation for winter months. Boreal Chickadees are known to store large amounts of food in different trees, each location containing several food items. Food is usually stored in the mid-region of trees at a lower level than at which they foraged. They generally forage in black spruce, white spruce and tamarack trees which minimizes competition with Black-capped Chickadees who forage in more deciduous and mixed forests. Boreal chickadees often forage in small flocks including other small birds, especially in winter.
Their breeding habitat is coniferous woods in Canada, Alaska, and the northernmost portions of the contiguous United States. They generally breed from early May to the end of August and remain within their breeding range throughout the year, but sometimes move south in winter. When a female chickadee finds a high quality male to mate with this provides direct and indirect benefits such as exceptional parental care and high quality genes. The pair remains together year round and may mate for life. Winter movements south of their range, however, appear to have become increasingly rare. Large bodies of water and mountain ranges may restrict dispersal of the Boreal Chickadee into places such as the Vancouver Islands and Haida Gwaii. They nest in a hole in a tree; the pair excavates the nest, using a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. This nest can be made of hair, fur or dead plants. Five to seven eggs are laid, white with fine reddish-brown spotting. Eggs are laid between May and July and hatch within 13–16 days. After the eggs have hatched it takes another 16–18 days for the birds to fully develop wings large enough to attempt flight.
The largest threat that is placed on boreal chickadees is clearcutting and logging that occurs in the boreal forest regions. These practices are causing dramatic reductions in mature forests and rapidly modifying the habitat of boreal chickadees. there has not been any clear cutting of boreal forests for over twenty years. All forestry operations are done by planting and harvesting of the tree's planted for that purpose.
