Gray-headed Chickadee (Poecile cinctus)

The Gray-headed Chickadee is the only member of the family that is found in both the Old World and New World. In Europe and Asia, they are found from Scandinavia, eastward across northern Europe and Asia. They are better known as the "Siberian Tit" in their Eurasian range. In North America, their geographic range is remote and populations are relatively small. They are a prize species for birders in North America, a bird that most birders will never see.

Habitat

The Gray-headed Chickadee inhabits boreal forests, open spruce woodlands, willow thickets, and shrubby tundra across Alaska, northern Canada, Scandinavia, and northern Asia. It is most often found in stunted conifer forests and riparian shrublands near the Arctic tree line. The species favors cold, sparsely wooded landscapes where it can forage among trees and shrubs throughout the year.

Diet

The Gray-headed Chickadee feeds primarily on insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates during the breeding season. In fall and winter, it relies heavily on seeds, berries, and other plant material, often caching food in bark crevices and other hidden locations for later use.

Behavior

The Gray-headed Chickadee is an active and inquisitive bird that forages through trees and shrubs, often hanging upside down while searching for insects and seeds. It is typically found in pairs or small flocks and frequently joins mixed-species feeding groups during winter. Like other chickadees, it stores food in numerous hiding places to help survive the long Arctic winter.

Nesting

The nest is in a cavity in a tree, either a natural cavity or an old woodpecker hole. The cavity is lined with bits of soft decaying wood, lichens, moss, and animal hair. The female lays between 6 and 9 eggs, and she alone incubates them. When the eggs hatch, both parents help feed the young. The young leave the nest after about 3 weeks.

Song

The Gray-headed Chickadee gives a variety of soft whistles, buzzy notes, and chickadee-like calls used for communication and maintaining contact within flocks. Its song is a clear, high-pitched series of whistled notes, simpler and more delicate than that of many other chickadees. The species also produces rapid scolding calls when alarmed or responding to predators.

Migration

The Gray-headed Chickadee is a nonmigratory species that remains within its northern range throughout the year. Rather than undertaking long-distance migrations, it makes only short local movements in response to food availability or severe winter weather. Its habit of caching seeds and other food allows it to survive the harsh Arctic and boreal winters without migrating.

Interactive eBird Map

Click here to access an interactive eBird map of Gray-headed Chickadee sightings

Compared with Black-capped Chickadee: The Gray-headed Chickadee lacks the bold black cap and bib of the Black-capped Chickadee, instead showing a gray-brown cap, smaller black throat patch, and paler face. Gray-headed Chickadees also have warm brown flanks and inhabit far northern boreal forests and Arctic shrublands.

Compared with Boreal Chickadee: The Gray-headed Chickadee has a paler gray head, more contrasting white cheeks, and buffier underparts than the Boreal Chickadee. Boreal Chickadees have a richer brown cap, darker overall appearance, and are more closely associated with dense coniferous forests farther south than the Gray-headed Chickadee's Arctic range.

Feeders

In their Eurasian range, Gray-headed Chickadees will occasionally visit feeders for various seeds, nuts, and suet. Their range in North America is remote, with very low human populations, so feeder attendance in North America is unknown.

Conservation Status

The Gray-headed Chickadee is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of its extensive range across the boreal forests and Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia and its large overall population. Although climate change and alterations to northern forest habitats may affect some populations in the future, the species remains widespread and is not currently considered globally threatened.

Further Information

Photo Information

Photo taken by Sergey Yeliseev - June 12th, 2012 - Republic of Altai in Russia - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.