By Kate Thome
Geographic Range
The Mountain Chickadee is found in the mountains of southwest Canada and the western United States. They are most abundant in Oregon and northern California. (Evans, 1994; Paul, 2000)
Habitat
Poecile gambeli is found in mountain coniferous and mixed woodlands. During nesting season they live at elevations of three kilometers or more. In the fall and winter they migrate to lower elevations. (Terres,1980)
Physical Description
(0.37 oz)
The Mountain Chickadee has a short, round body, and on average is only 13 centimeters in length. It can be recognized by its black crown and throat, white cheeks, and distinctive white eyebrow. This white eyebrow, along with its pale gray sides, distinguish this species from other chickadees. The Mountain Chickadee also has grayish-white underparts and gray flanks. Males and females look alike. Rocky Mountain forms have buff on the back, sides and flanks, and have broader white eyebrows.
The Mountain Chickadee is well adapted for a cold environment. The soft down next to their skin provides insulation, and their outer contour feathers are tight and waterproof. (Scott, 1987; Harrison, 1983; Cassidy, 1990)
Some key physical features:
endothermic 
; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
The breeding activity of the Mountain Chickadee occurs in the spring, from April to July. The female can lay from 6-12 eggs, but on average lays 8-9. She then sits on these eggs, which can be plain white or spotted with brown, for an incubation period of 14 days. During this time, her mate is always nearby to defend their territory and collects the food for both of them. Occasionally the female may leave the eggs to look for food herself, but covers them with the lining of the nest before she goes. She always spends the entire night on the eggs. When the eggs hatch, both parents work hard to bring a never-ending supply of food to the young. The offspring leave the nest after about 20 days. They will still be fed by their parents for a few weeks after they fledge, while gradually learning to feed themselves. The Mountain Chickadee has been recorded as living up to almost 8 years in the wild. (Harrison, 1983; Terres 1980)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Behavior
The Mountain Chickadee is an acrobatic, tree-loving bird with fantastic agility. They are able to find food in places that other animals overlook because they are comfortable at any angle, right-side up or upside down. Their flight maneuvers give them an advantage in avoiding enemies. They can change direction in mid-air in 0.03 seconds.
Their call is a chick-a-dee-a-dee, or a three or four note decending whistle, fee-bee-bay, or fee-bee-fee-bee. They are social and are always flitting about, seemingly very cheerful as they carry on a chatter with flockmates.
In the spring, the flocks of chickadees start to split into pairs, usually with the same partner as the previous year. Some pairs are mated for life. The male often brings food as a gift to the female, and defends the territory around their nest which may include as much as eight to seventeen acres. They nest in a natural cavity, abandoned woodpecker hole, birdhouse, or a hole dug out by the pair in a rotted stump or tree. They can nest just a few centimeters above the ground or as high as twenty five meters, but are usually content with a height of two to five meters. When they have completed digging the cavity, it will be approximately 13 to 20 centimeters deep. This task takes the pair about a week to ten days to complete. During the next three or four days, the female creates the actual nest by lining it with soft material such as animal fur, feathers, or moss and plant fibers. When the nest is ready, the female will lay her eggs. (Harrison, 1983; Evans, 1994; Terres,1980)
Key behaviors:
flies; motile .
Food Habits
Poecile gambeli spend nearly all their daylight hours feeding. They are omnivorous, with 70% of their diet coming from insects and 30% from plants. They eat mostly caterpillars, spiders, beetles, ants, sawflies, gypsy moths, plant lice and cicadas. The Mountain Chickadee has a sharp beak used for opening seeds and eating wild berries. They especially like bayberries and poison ivy berries. They frequently visit feeding stations, especially when they have young, and like sunflower seeds, suet and cracked corn. (Harrison, 1983)
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Mountain Chickadees are enjoyable to watch and frequently visit feeding stations. They are quite tame and can easily be taught to eat from your hand. They also help control insect populations. (Harrison, 1983)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Least Concern.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
The destruction of standing deadwood makes it difficult for these cavity-nesting birds to find breeding accomodations and nesting sites. However, the Mountain Chickadee has little current threat to its population. (Cassidy, 1990)
Other Comments
At the end of each winter's day, chickadees have accumulated reserves of fat which they will use during the night. Their body temperature drops about 11 degrees Celsius, and breathing and heart rate slow so that the next morning they have enough energy to start the day.
The genus name of the Mountain Chickadee has recently been changed from Parus to Poecile. (Harrison, 1983)
Contributors
Kate Thome (author), Milford High School.
George Campbell (editor), Milford High School.
