Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) Bruce Hawkins/CLO

Cool fact: A mated pair remains together year after year.

Description: Similar to Black-capped Chickadee but with narrower eyebrow stripe, slightly longer bill and wings, shorter tail, and grayer wings.

Breeding range: Year-round resident of western United States and Canada; breeds above 5,000 feet (see map).

Preferred habitat: Montane coniferous forests dominated by spruce-fir, pine, and pinyon-juniper.

Diet: Insects and spiders during warm months; cached conifer seeds in cold months; birdseed and suet.

Conservation status: Breeding Bird Survey shows decline of 1 percent per year across North America and 1.5 percent per year in the United StatesÑa 30-year loss of 25 to 35 percent.

Causes of decline: Loss of natural nest sites associated with snag removal and the harvesting of large conifers and aspens. Occasional local population declines in low seed crop years.

Number of records for this species in our database: 72.

Nest-box tips: Entrance hole should not exceed 1 J" in diameter, to exclude larger birds. Face hole away from prevailing winds. Cover the box bottom with 1" wood shavings. Place boxes four to six feet from the ground. Monitor nests weekly. Mountain Chickadee nestlings suffer high rates of predation. Erect predator guards and secure a metal plate around entrance hole to prevent rodents from enlarging the hole.

How can you help? Erect and monitor nest boxes and contribute to the conservation of cavity-nesting birds by sending us your data. Join The Birdhouse Network (see Citizen Science at a Glance).

Since 1966, significant declines in Mountain Chickadee numbers have been documented in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming. Alberta, Canada, has experienced significant increases.