Mountain Chickadee Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Song
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California, June 13, 2018Recorded by Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library
Song
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Colorado, May 17, 2013Recorded by Nathan Pieplow
Song
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Colorado, May 28, 2008Recorded by Nathan Pieplow
Calls
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California, June 13, 2018Recorded by Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library
Calls
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Arizona, April 25, 2019Recorded by Parker Davis / Macaulay Library
Calls
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Idaho, January 15, 2018Recorded by Austin Young / Macaulay Library
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Oregon, June 26, 1988Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller / Macaulay Library
Calls
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Oregon, April 21, 1990Recorded by Thomas G. Sander / Macaulay Library
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California, May 18, 2013Recorded by Bob McGuire / Macaulay Library
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California, June 03, 2013Recorded by Brad Walker / Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Songs

A sweet whistled song, fee-bee with the second note lower than the first, similar to the whistles of many other chickadees. Mountain Chickadees sometimes sing more than one fee and/or more than one bee notes as well. Though they sound quite similar to Black-capped Chickadees, research has shown that the two species pay little attention to each other’s calls. You’ll mainly hear this song in summer.

Calls

Chickadees are extremely vocal. The most famous call is the one that gave the birds their name, a lively chick-a-dee used while mobbing predators, chasing rivals, singing, and staying in contact with a flock. They often repeat parts of the call, particularly the dee, and research on Black-capped Chickadees has suggested chickadees do this to emphasize the threat from a predator. Among their other calls is a burbling, half-swallowed gargle exchanged when two individuals face off or between mates.

Other Sounds

Females and large nestlings sometimes hiss and slap the inside of their nest cavity if an animal disturbs them. The display mimics the sound and actions of a snake, and it’s thought to be an attempt to scare off predators.