Photo: Minette Layne / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) is a member of the Paridae family found in North America. Adults weigh 9.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Paridae Tits, Chickadees
- Genus Poecile
- Species rufescens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Paridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) belongs to the Paridae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA w.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.1 cm and a tail of around 4.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 958,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chestnut-backed Chickadee?
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a very small bird that weighs around 9.4 g.
Where does the Chestnut-backed Chickadee live?
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is found across North America with a range covering NA w, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Chestnut-backed Chickadee belong to?
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Chestnut-backed Chickadee eat?
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Chestnut-backed Chickadee migrate?
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Chestnut-backed Chickadee endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Chestnut-backed Chickadee make?
1 real field recording of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Chestnut-backed Chickadee's range?
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee has a mapped global range of about 958,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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