| The
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
and the Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
can be confusing species for eastern bird watchers
to identify. The ranges of these species do not
overlap much, and birds are quite rare any distance
outside of their mapped range. For many people,
a quick look at a range map will show which species
are most likely to occur at their feeders. But
for those who live in the zone
of overlap, a fairly stable and narrow band
that runs along the east-central United States,
the chickadees pose a serious identification challenge.
To complicate matters, the species have been known
to hybridize in the overlap zone. When identifying
these two chickadees, concentrate equally on the
differences in plumage and the differences in
vocalizations. |
|
|
 |
 |
Photo
by Cheryl Johnson, Campton, New Hampshire |
Photo
by Linda Green, Waco, Texas |
| A
small (avg. 5.25" long), acrobatic bird with
longer tail and (to some observers) a proportionately
larger head. |
The
smallest (avg. 4.75"" long) North American
chickadee with a proportionately smaller head and
shorter tail. |
sexes similar
|
sexes similar
|
|
In
fresh plumage (in the autumn and early spring)
the greater wing coverts (marked with an arrow
in the picture above) and secondaries are broadly
edged in white, forming what appears to be a long
white patch.
The
lower edge of the black bib is generally less
defined than on a Carolina Chickadee and appears uneven.
Mostly
white on nape of neck.
The
outer tail feathers are more broadly edged with
white.
|
The
greater wing coverts (marked with an arrow in
the picture above) are more uniformly grey and
show less white, lending a plainer look to
the upper parts.
The
bib is generally smaller, although there is some
individual variation in bib size in both species.
There is also a neat line of separation between
the bib and belly, although this character may be obscured
in very worn birds (especially in summer).
Mostly greyish on nape of neck.
The
cinnamon-buff coloring under the wings is less
developed on the Carolina Chickadee (but fresh
adults in the northeast part of its range show
brighter cinnamon and can be confused with Black-capped).
|
 |
 |
|
Photo
by Donald Hurd, Millport, New York |
Photo
by Errol Taskin, Shreveport, Louisianna
|
See more photo comparisons of these two chickadee species.
Songs and calls
Near
the zone of overlap,
birds have been known to learn each other's vocalizations,
and hybrids tend to deliver odd-sounding variations.
A bird located near the zone of overlap that sings
both songs, or sings "odd-sounding"
songs, cannot be positively identified in the
field. |
|
|
| The
Black-capped Chickadee's call is a lower and slower
chick-a-dee-dee-dee, which functions as a contact call, one that
serves to keep the winter flock together when birds
cannot see one another. The
song is a clear fee-bee,
with a loud version given during territory skirmishes
and a soft version given during mate feeding. |
The
Carolina Chickadee's call is a higher and faster
chick-a-dee-dee-dee.
It
has a four note song, fee-bee-fee-bay. |
Overlap zone between
species' ranges
Map
courtesy of Birdsource
Black
line indicates zone of overlap, where both species
can be found, as well as hybrids between the two.
Note that the overlap zone has crept northward in recent years. Bird watchers near the zone of overlap are encouraged
to take extra precaution with
the identification of these species. |
|
Additional
information
A
Winter 1999 BirdScope article, "Distinguishing
Chickadees" discusses the geographic
distribution, habitat, migratory behavior, and
feeding habits of Black-capped and Carolina chickadees.
More information about each chickadee can also
be found in the Bird Guide of the Lab's
All About Birds web site.
Reporting chickadees to Project FeederWatch
Unless you live in the overlap zone, you can identify your chickadees by location. If you live in or near the overlap zone and are uncertain which species is at your feeders, please report your chickadees as "Black-capped Chickadee/Carolina Chickadee" or, if you are using the paper forms, as "Blk-cap/Carolina Chick." If you have not participated in Project FeederWatch, join today and report the birds that visit your feeders in winter.
Illustrations
by Larry McQueen. |
