ChickadeesGray-headed ChickadeePoecile cinctus
- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Paridae
Basic Description
The hardy Gray-headed Chickadee weighs virtually nothing and yet somehow can survive year-round in the farthest northern forests in the world. Its fluffy plumage and prolific food caching help it get through unfathomably cold winter temperatures (as low as –60°C or –76°F). Inhabiting both coniferous and deciduous forests, this richly colored, brown-capped chickadee forages tirelessly for insects and seeds, stashing thousands as a hedge against lean winters. Pairs mate for life and nest in natural cavities, old woodpecker holes, and nest boxes. Found primarily in northern Eurasia, where it is known as Siberian Tit, this species is also a rare resident in Alaska.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Carbonero Lapón (Spanish)
- Mésange lapone (French)
- Cool Facts
- The Gray-headed Chickadee—known as Siberian Tit across its vast Eurasian range—is the only member of the chickadee/tit family (Paridae) found in both Eurasia and North America.
- Gray-headed Chickadees in northern Siberia can face winter temperatures that drop to -60°C (-76°F). To save energy in such extreme conditions, this species has specially adapted feathers that make it extra fluffy. It can also lower its body temperature by 5°C to 10°C (9°F to 18°F) and go into partial hibernation overnight.
- Gray-headed Chickadees stock up on food in advance of the long arctic winter. Over the course of a year, a single individual may stash up to 500,000 seeds and insects in conifer needles, lichens, and tree crevices. In a typical winter, though, a bird eats just 15% of its stored food.
- Gray-headed Chickadee pairs can hold huge territories covering up to 100 hectares (247 acres). That’s about 20 times the size of a Black-capped Chickadee’s territory.