Birds › Northwest forest › Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Poecile rufescens

Feeds higher in tall conifers than other chickadees, and its call is hoarser and faster.

Where to see it for real: Sunflower seed, suet and a nest box.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Northwest forest habitat (Pacific Northwest, Washington State).

Chestnut-backed Chickadee facts

Family

Chickadees and tits

Length

4.7 in (12 cm)

Wingspan

7.5 in (19 cm)

Weight

0.4 oz (10 g)

Diet

Insects, spiders and seeds, often picked from conifer needles.

Range

Humid coastal forests from Alaska to central California.

Nest

A tree hole or nest box lined with moss and fur.

Song

A hoarse, high "tsick-a-dee-dee"; it has no whistled song.

Active

by day

Status

Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the Chestnut-backed Chickadee sounds like

How to attract the Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Feeder foods, favorite first: sunflower seed, suet, peanuts. Feeders that hold them: tube feeder, platform feeder and suet cage. Keep a bird bath full, too.

In the game: fill a feeder with sunflower seed, suet and peanuts and keep the bird bath full. It is a common visitor.

More: bird songs and calls, what to feed birds.

More birds of the northwest forest

Steller's JayNorthwest forestVaried ThrushNorthwest forestSpotted TowheeNorthwest forestPacific WrenNorthwest forestRed-breasted NuthatchNorthwest forestPileated WoodpeckerNorthwest forest