Grey-headed Chickadee

The Grey-headed Chickadee, also known as the Siberian Tit (Poecile cinctus), is a passerine bird belonging to the tit family, Paridae. Despite its name, this bird's head is adorned not with grey but with a palette of black, white, and brown. It is a fairly large tit, measuring 13.5–14 cm in length and weighing between 11 and 14.3 grams. The head is dark brown with white cheeks, the mantle is brown, the wing feathers are blackish with pale fringes, and the underparts are whitish with pale brown flanks.

Identification Tips

When attempting to identify the Grey-headed Chickadee, look for its distinctive dark brown head with white cheeks. The bird's mantle is brown, and its wing feathers are blackish with pale fringes. The underparts are whitish, complemented by pale brown flanks, which can help distinguish it from similar species.

Habitat

This bird is a conifer specialist, thriving in subarctic forests. It is a resident breeder throughout subarctic Scandinavia, the northern Palearctic, and extends its range into North America, in Alaska and the far northwest of Canada.

Distribution

The Grey-headed Chickadee has a widespread distribution across subarctic regions. It is found throughout subarctic Scandinavia, the northern Palearctic, and into North America, including Alaska and the far northwest of Canada.

Behaviour

The Grey-headed Chickadee is a resident bird, meaning it does not typically migrate. It has a preference for old-growth trees over new-growth ones, which may influence its local movements and distribution.

Breeding

This species is a resident breeder, which suggests that it establishes territories and breeds in the same regions where it is commonly found. The presence of eggs in museum collections indicates that breeding does occur, but specific details on its breeding behavior are not provided.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List has classified the Grey-headed Chickadee as Least Concern, indicating that, at present, there are no immediate threats to its population numbers that would warrant a higher level of concern.