Most of the time, chickadees don’t sit still for a portrait session like this one. But when I encountered this tiny chestnut-backed chickadee the other day, I was surprised at the cooperation, or perhaps he was simply just curious about me!
Chickadees visit in small to medium size flocks. They are a gregarious bunch, chattering continuously and hopping from branch to branch gobbling up insects, and of course they love the sunflower seeds, nuts and suet from the feeders.
They sport a blackish cap and throat, with white stripes below the eyes from the beak past their shoulders.
The chest is greyish and the sides and back are a warm chestnut brown color.
As I carefully and slowly approached this chickadee, he kept chirping at me as if to ask if I had captured him looking his best. I think I did, don’t you? 😉
Chickadees are one of the most common birds visiting our backyard. We can hear them chirp and call all day long. The chestnut-backed chickadee lives in forests up and down the west coast and in the nearby mountain ranges. We see them throughout the year, but there definitely aren’t as many of them here during the summer months. I believe they move to higher elevations during the hotter parts of the year.
Suddenly, he turned away, stretched his wings, he took off into the woods.
in cahoots with muddy boots 
Hey there Chickadee. He looks a lot like our sparrows.
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Ah! Could it be the house sparrow?
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It looks like it but I think they are herbivores. Not omnivores?
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We have those house sparrows too! Unfortunately they take over nesting places of native birds. They are mostly herbivores, but are opportunistic and will eat just about anything in a pinch. I often see them in parking lots scavenging food wrappers people littered! They’re also know here as a pest in agriculture.
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I think they are a pest here too but they have a lot of competition from the native species so numbers are stable.
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Great shots of this adorable little fellow.
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Thanks, LuAnne! 😊
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We have a lot of chickadees, too. I love their cheerfulness! There’s a hedge that I walk past daily. It’s a haven for the little birds. It will be all noisy until I walk by with Bella. Then it’ll go silent for a few moments and then the chatter returns! Makes me smile. Have a great weekend, Sabine!
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They go silent too often when I go outside. They’ll watch me for a bit and come back when they deem it safe! 😉 Have a nice weekend too, Missy!
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A lot of personality in a very small package! 🙂
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Indeed! 🙂
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They are so cute Sabine. You DID capture him at his best and up close too. We have chickadees here in Michigan, but sparrows are more prevalent here. I would gladly trade chickadees for those sparrows which are rather mean-spirited and will invade other bird’s birdhouses and move right in – pretty nervy. The chickadees are a lot cuter too!
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Thanks Linda! We have house sparrows here as well and I don’t care for them either. I’ll take chickadees any day over the house sparrows!
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Those chickadees in your post were so sweet Sabine. Their plumage and markings have a lot to do with it, besides their actions. You really got “up close and personal” with them, just as your title says.
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Thank you, Linda! 🙂
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