This week I thought I’d share some images of a hardy local who spends the winter with us. While many of our beloved songbirds enjoy the warm southern climate, we have a a few tough birds that stick around and keep us company even in the dead of winter. One of these is the boreal chickadee.
Boreal chickadees are usually found in forests that have lots of coniferous trees as their preferred foods of insects and seeds are generally plentiful. Boreal chickadees will pick insects, larvae, and their eggs from crevices in bark, and deep inside spruce cones. Chickadees cache much of their food for winter months much like Canada Jays. They spend the majority of their time foraging in trees but may spend some time foraging on the ground as well. Boreal chickadees will attend bird feeders so keep your eyes peeled for these cuties this winter.
Boreal chickadees don’t build nests out in the open like many other birds but nest inside cavities of dead trees, the location of which is decided by the mated pair. They usually raise a single clutch of eggs which are looked after by both parents. In non-breeding months, birds may form small flocks of 4-10 birds but are often seen foraging alone.
The oldest recorded Boreal Chickadee was at least 5 years, 4 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Nova Scotia.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed the images. I hope to capture more images of them this winter so stay tuned!