Chestnut-backed Chickadee

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Chestnut-backed Chickadees reside along the West Coast all year long from south of Monterey, California north to Sitka, Alaska. There are interior populations in Montana and Idaho as well as inland in California, Washington and Oregon. They are associated with coniferous forests. Their unique facial pattern with white triangular cheek stripes beginning in the lore area at either side of the short beak and widening along the cheeks, a black cap stretching down the nape, and blotchy little dark bib setting off the neat white diamond (if one is looking nose to beak) along the face as well as their sociability make them familiar to birders as well as non birders. They popularly appear on seasonal greeting cards, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, calendars and other personal and home decor. Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Black-capped Chickadees and other species of chickadee are so well loved that in some regions chickadee is a term of endearment. A bright-eyed chickadee posed against red berries on a snow-laden twig is a sight we never seem to get enough of. A chickadee in snow, with a red ribbon, or perched with holly berries or other red drupes of the cold months conjures wintertime and Christmas. Chestnut-backed Chickadees exude friendliness in their way of flying in mixed flocks with bushtits, titmice, or other small songbirds engaging in day-to-day bird business without notable shyness (for a bird) in the presence of human habitation and activity. The chestnut tones are along the back and flanks. They are small (almost as small as bushtits), vociferous, and active as they scale and hop about plucking insects and spiders in dense tangles of limbs and leaves overhead. These birds sing a buzzy Dee-dee-dee! as though trying to become acquainted with us. Reports of tsidi-tsidi cheer cheer are noted on many online bird references. However, the birds by my house sound like "chip chip" followed by a lower raspy "dee-dee-dee." Happy pine cone picking and cater pillaring, my little chickadee.