Poecile rufescens
(Chestnut-backed Chickadee)

Physical Description:
4 1/2-5" (11-13 cm). Brown crown, black eye-stripe, white below eye and on cheeks, black thin moustache, and brown chin. Chestnut back, shoulders, and flanks; black wings and tail.

Similar Species- Other chickadees

Song:
A faster, shriller chick-a-dee-dee; often just zhee-zhee.

Distribution:
Resident from portions of Alaska, east to western Alberta, and south to southern California and northwestern Montana. Wanders irregularly inland after breeding season.

Habitat:
Found in coniferous and mixed forests, primarily in humid regions, less frequently in pine forests, oak woodlands, pine-oak associations, and thickets. Strongly associated with Douglas-fir in most areas. Northern Idaho study conducted in hemlock-grand fir suggested these birds were associated with older forest stands.

Diet:
Eats mainly insects, but will also eat spiders, some fruits, and conifer seeds.

Ecology:
Nests in natural or excavated cavity in standing snag or live tree. May nest in loose colonies. Forages in foliage. Forms flocks of 4-20 individuals during nonbreeding season, often in loose association with other species (juncos, kinglets, nuthatches, etc.). Recent range expansion in Sierra Nevada was not accompanied by declines in Mountain Chickadee numbers.

Conservation:

Element Code:	ABPAW01070
Status:	Protected nongame species
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S4

Important State References:
Peterson, S.R. 1982. A preliminary survey of forest bird communities in northern Idaho. Northwest Sci. 56:287-298.