Basic Appearance
- About the same size as a black-capped chickadee, but slightly shaggier-looking.
- Has a brown cap, which is the easiest way to tell it apart.
- Black throat patch, white cheeks, and a soft brownish-gray body.
- Tiny, round, and very cute.
Where They Live
- Found in the boreal forest of Canada and Alaska.
- They love spruce, fir, and pine forests—the really quiet, cold, thick woods.
What They Eat
- Mostly insects, spiders, and larvae during summer.
- In winter: seeds and fat-rich food they cached (stored) earlier.
- They hide food in bark, cracks, and branches, then remember where it is—even months later.
Behavior
- Quiet and shy compared to other chickadees.
- Usually stays high in conifers and moves in little flocks.
- Makes a low, hoarse call that sounds like “chick-a-dee-dee” but raspier than the black-capped chickadee.
Winter Survival
- Super tough. They:
- Grow extra feathers
- Fluff up to trap heat
- Cache huge amounts of food
- Sometimes enter a mild overnight torpor (lowered body temperature) to save energy
Nesting
- They dig their own cavity in rotten wood or a soft snag.
- Line it with fur, moss, feathers.
- Lay around 5–9 eggs.