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Poecile hudsonicus

(Forster, 1772)

Boreal Chickadee

G5Secure Found in 33 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106548
Element CodeABPAW01060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyParidae
GenusPoecile
Synonyms
Parus hudsonicusJ.R. Forster, 1772Poecile hudsonica(Forster, 1772)
Other Common Names
boreal chickadee (EN) Mésange à tête brune (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 2000. Forty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 117:847-858
Taxonomic Comments
This species formerly was included in the genus Parus. It was transferred to Poecile by AOU (1997). The masculine ending of hudsonicus was feminized to hudsonica to agree with feminine Poecile (AOU 2000), however, reversing an earlier determination, David and Gosselin (2008) have shown that Poecile is in fact masculine, necessitating changing the gender to hudsonicus.

This species may constitute a superspecies with P. cincta and P. rufescens (AOU 1998). It exhibits little mtDNA genetic differentiation throughout the previously glaciated continental distribution; Newfoundland-Nova Scotia populations have distinct mtDNA haplotypes that differ from continental haplotypes by single restriction site changes (Gill et al. 1993). Phylogenetic analyses indicate that North American chickadees comprise two clades, hudsonica-rufescens-sclateri versus carolinensis-atricapilla-gambeli (Gill et al. 1993).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-12-02
Range Extent Comments
RESIDENT: from western and central Alaska to northern Saskatchewan and Labrador, south to Washington, Montana, Minnesota, and northern New England. Wanders irregularly south after breeding season.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Boreal coniferous and mixed forests, muskeg bogs, vicinity of white cedar and hemlock swamps, birches and streamside willows. Nests in natural cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes, or in cavity dug by pair in rotten tree stub, usually within 1 m of ground (but up to 3.7 m).

Reproduction

Clutch size 4-9 (usually 6-7). Incubation 11-16 days, by female. Young tended by both parents, leave nest at 18 days.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - Conifer
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
OntarioS4Yes
LabradorS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
NunavutSUYes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsS1NYes
New HampshireS4Yes
New YorkS3Yes
VermontS2Yes
IdahoS2Yes
AlaskaS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New JerseyS4NYes
MontanaS3Yes
WisconsinS2BYes
MichiganS2Yes
MaineS4Yes
WashingtonS3Yes
Roadless Areas (33)
Alaska (8)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Exit Glacier DonutChugach National Forest126
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Minnesota (4)
AreaForestAcres
Baker - Homer - Brule LakesSuperior National Forest6,712
Cabin CreekSuperior National Forest6,071
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
Benchmark Ra 1126Flathead National Forest6,318
Coal Ridge Ra 1127Flathead National Forest15,429
Thompson Seton RA 1483Flathead National Forest52,235
New Hampshire (13)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
WatervilleWhite Mountain National Forest4,312
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
Washington (5)
AreaForestAcres
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
Grassy TopIdaho Panhandle National Forests13,485
Harvey CreekColville National Forest10,140
Long SwampOkanogan National Forest66,344
TiffanyOkanogan National Forest22,045
References (19)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 2000. Forty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 117:847-858
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., R.C. Banks, F.K. Barker, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2009. Fiftieth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 126(3):705-714.
  4. Balda, R. P., and G. C. Bateman. 1971. Flocking and annual cycle of the piñon jay, <i>Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus</i>. Condor 73:287-302.
  5. Bent, A.C. 1946. Life histories of North American jays, crows, and titmice. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 191. Washington, D.C.
  6. David, N., and M. Gosselin. 2008. Grammatical gender of <i>Poecile</i> and <i>Leptopoecile</i>. Dutch Birding 30:19.
  7. Gill, F. B., A. M. Mostrom, and A. L. Mack. 1993. Speciation in North American chickadees: I. Patterns of mtDNA genetic divergence. Evolution 47:195-212.
  8. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  9. Harrison, H. H. 1979. A field guide to western birds' nests. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 279 pp.
  10. Horn, H. S. 1968. The adaptive significance of colonial nesting in the Brewer's Blackbird. Ecology 49:682-694.
  11. Ligon, J. D. 1971. Late summer-autumnal breeding of the piñon jay in New Mexico. Condor 73:147-153.
  12. Mitchell, W. A. 1988. Songbird nest boxes. Section 5.1.8, US Army Corps of Engineers Wildlife Resources Management Manual. Tech. Rep. EL-88-19. Waterways Expt. Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi. 48 pp.
  13. Moore, W. S., and R. A. Dolbeer. 1989. The use of banding recovery data to estimate dispersal rates and gene flow in avian species: case studies in the Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. Condor 91:242-253.
  14. Sheldon, F. H., et al. 1992. DNA-DNA hybridization evidence of phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of PARUS. Auk 109:173-185.
  15. Tarvin, K. A., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1999. Blue Jay (<i>Cyanocitta cristata</i>). No. 469 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32pp.
  16. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  17. Thompson, F. R., III. 1994. Temporal and spatial patterns of breeding brown-headed cowbirds in the midwestern United States. Auk 111:979-990.
  18. Williams, L. 1952b. Breeding behavior of the Brewer blackbird. Condor 54:3-47.
  19. Willson, M. F. 1966. Breeding ecology of the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Ecological Monographs 36:51-77.