Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Overview

The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a Pacific coastal specialist, easily told apart from other chickadees by its warm rufous-brown back and flanks rather than the plain gray seen in most relatives. It inhabits damp coniferous forests from coastal Alaska south through California.

This coloring makes it one of the most distinctively colored chickadees, and a chestnut-brown back feather is a strong clue that it comes from this species rather than a Black-capped or Mountain Chickadee.

Recognizing the Feathers

• Cap feathers: dark brown to blackish-brown, duller than the jet-black cap of other chickadees
• Back feathers: rich chestnut-brown, distinctive among chickadees
• Flank feathers: warm rufous-chestnut wash
• Wing & tail feathers: gray, unbarred

The chestnut-brown back and flank feathers are diagnostic; no other widespread North American chickadee shows this warm rufous tone, making this species one of the easiest chickadees to identify from a single body feather.

Plumage

Sexes are alike, both with a dark brown cap, white cheeks, chestnut back and flanks, and gray wings and tail. Juveniles are slightly duller. One complete molt occurs in late summer after breeding.

Habitat & Range

This species is restricted to humid coniferous and mixed forests along the Pacific coast, from southern Alaska through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and into central California. It is a non-migratory permanent resident.

Behavior & Field Notes

Chestnut-backed Chickadees forage in dense conifer foliage for insects and seeds, often high in the canopy, and readily join mixed-species foraging flocks. They nest in tree cavities, sometimes excavating their own in soft, rotten wood, and give a hoarser, faster call than other chickadees. A chestnut-toned body feather found along the Pacific coast in conifer forest is a strong indicator of this species.