Mexican Chickadee, A cute little bird, a common resident of mountain forests much of Mexico. It barely enters the ranges of the United States where other chickadee types live.
A bird with a blackhead, black bib, white cheeks, and gray body. It has a more extensive black neck than the other chickadees. Gray wings and tail, with gray-black feet and legs. It is less buffy than the other types of a chickadee. It is similar in appearance to black-capped chickadee and mountain chickadee.
Scientific Information
Common Name
Mexican Chickadee
Scientific Name
Poecile sclateri
Family
Paridae
Type
Birds
Size
Length: 5 inches
These birds can be found widely in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona and the Animas Mountains of New Mexico. Most bird watchers encounter it in the Chiricahua. In summer, after nesting season they join mixed flocks with various other birds of the same type.
5 Interesting Facts About Mexican Chickadee
Although, these birds are not known as migratory. But sometimes they fly to the lower elevations in cold winter.
They do not store food like the other types of chickadee.
These birds apply crushed beetles outside of the nest to repel the predators.
The group of these birds is collectively known as the “banditry” of chickadees.
This species covers its eggs with nesting material before leaving the nest.
Standard Measurements
Length
5 in (125 – 130 mm)
Weight
10 g (0.35 oz)
Wingspan
7.25 in (210 mm)
Wing
2.49 – 2.61 in (63.2 – 66.2 mm)
Tail
2.32 – 2.59 in (59 – 65.9 mm)
Culmen
0.30 – 0.39 in (7.6 – 9.8 mm)
Tarsus
0.63 – 0.69 in (16 – 17.5 mm)
1) What Is a Mexican Chickadee Habitat?
Mexican Chickadee is a permanent resident of wooded highlands in western, central, and northeastern Mexico. Also, their range extends to the extreme southeastern Arizona and New Mexico.
These birds mostly breed in mountains on open ponderosa pine forests. Also, they prefer higher and denser forests of spruce and Douglas-fir for breeding.
In winter, these birds fly down into the pine-oak forest and sycamore groves.
2) Mexican Chickadee Diet
These birds mostly feed on insects and seeds. A major part of their diet is consisting of spider, egg cases, and plants. They cling under the branches of trees and gleans trunks and foliage.
This species sometimes takes food while hovering. They occasionally catch flying insects in the air. These birds do not store food. This type of chickadee readily eats sunflower seeds and suet.
3) Backyard Tips for Mexican Chickadee
Do you want to attract Mexican chickadee to your backyard? Here are the points you should consider.
Make sure to put nest boxes and bird feeders in your backyard. The height of the nest boxes should be 5 – 45 feet above the ground. Make sure to put a guard near the nest boxes to protect the birds and their eggs.
These birds mostly visit the bird feeders full of suet or peanut butter. If you put sunflower seeds in your bird feeder then there are more chances that you can see them in your backyard.
Nesting Tips for Mexican Chickadee
Mexican Chickadee prefers cavities for their nesting location. They usually excavate their own cavity or they can enlarge an existing cavity. Also, they can modify an old woodpecker hole for nesting.
The female builds the nesting cavity with moss and strips of soft bark. The clutch size of the female is 5 – 8 eggs. Females incubate the eggs lonely while males provide the food to the female. After the hatching, the female also leaves the nest to gather the food.
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size
5 to 8 eggs
Number of Broods
1 Brood
Egg Length
1.5 – 1.7 cm (0.6 – 0.7 in)
Egg Width
1.1 – 1.3 cm (0.4 – 0.5 in)
Incubation Period
11 to 14 days
1) The behavior of Mexican Chickadee – Defensive
They are permanent residents of their own ranges. During the breeding season, calls of the male chickadee sound like they are begging for a mate. They choose soft bark or woodpecker holes for nesting sites.
Mexican Chickadee is well known for its anti-predator behavior. They are good at defense against predators belongs to other species. They travel in small groups.
2) Mexican Chickadee Calls
Calls of the Mexican chickadee are a combination of three common notes. Their “chick-a-dee” notes are phonologically similar to the notes of the black-capped chickadee.
The frequency of their call is high and it gives buzzing aspects to the human ear.
3) Mexican Chickadee Conservation
The total population of Mexican chickadee is over 2 million. They are widely spread in the higher elevations of Mexico, United States. According to the IUCN, their population is decreasing, but there are not any extreme fluctuations.
Conclusion:
So, in this article, we have discussed Mexican chickadee with facts, figures, and external reports. Kindly share with us, which type of chickadee do you like? And Why?
Leave a Reply