Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)

County List:

Rule:

Forested Landscapes

      (Spruce/Fir (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Jack Pine (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Upland Conifer (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Black Spruce (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Lowland Conifer (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or Treed Bog
   containing:
      (Snags or Living Cavity Trees)

Habitat List:

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Literature:

Habitat: This species requires habitats with conifers, particularly spruce. In Michigan, Walkinshaw and Dyer characterized preferred habitat as spruce-leatherleaf bog. Areas with relatively regular breeding observations in Luce County during the Atlas period were in thick forest with stunted white and black spruce and other conifers in the low areas, mixed with aspen and birch on slightly elevated ridges. In Marquette Co., several family groups were found along a river basin with open stands of medium-sized white spruce (5 to 9 m) interspersed with aspen. This chickadee also summers in jack-pine plains, such as near Seney in Schoolcraft Co. and on the Baraga Plains in Baraga Co.

Walkinshaw and Dyer described a nest in a small birch snag on a semi-open sand ridge surrounded by a spruce-tamarack-leatherleaf bog and jack pine forest. The nest cavity was approximately 2 m above the ground and was 10 cm deep. In Ontario, nests typically were in holes or natural cavities 1 to 4 m above ground in the side of stumps and trees. Boreal Chickadees occasionally use nest boxes.

Habitat: Breeding: Northern coniferous woods, wooded swamps, bogs. Wintering: Same as breeding habitat.

Special Habitat Requirement: Decaying trees for excavating cavities. McLaren found that chickadees preferred to nest in trees with soft wood and hard exterior layers and bark.

Habitat: Conifer forests. Mainly in forests of conifers, especially spruces, but also in some mixed forest. Occurs in low stunted spruces as far north as treeline. At southern edge of range, found in spruce bogs in east, high mountain forest in west, barely south of Canadian border in either region.

Diet: Mostly insects and seeds. Fees on a variety of insects, including many caterpillars in summer, plus moths, beetles, and others, also spiders. Eats many insect eggs and pupae, especially in winter. Also eats seeds of various trees. Forages mostly by moving about in dense conifers, gleaning insects from surface of twigs, needles, or trunk. May probe in bark crevices, and may take food while hovering briefly. Also will extract seeds from cones and take seeds from deciduous trees such as birches. May store food and retrieve it later.

Nest: Site is a hole in tree, either natural cavity or old woodpecker hole; chickadees may also excavate their own site or enlarge an existing hole. Site is usually low, 1-12 feet above the ground. Nest has foundation of moss, bark strips, lichens, feathers, lining of animal hair and plant down.