I find the question of Chickadee habitat choice really interesting.
In se. BC and Washington state Chestnut-backed Chickadees are largely
associated with conifers, while here in coastal California they are not. In
Vancouver I seldom saw a Chestnut-back away from conifers, here I consider
them birds of riparian willow thickets! The key may be that there are no
Black-capped Chickadees here, which may be a better competitor in the
deciduous, pushing the CBCH out of that habitat in the north. An independent
test of this is Vancouver Island, where Black-caps are absent. My
impressions there were that Chestnut-backed Chickadees were much more
catholic in their habitat choice than in Vancouver (any comments Bryan).
Perhaps some chickadees cannot coexist. This appears to be the case with the
Carolina and Black-cap, you either have one or the other, not both. Serge,
is this not also true with Marsh Tit (Parus palustris) and Willow Tit (Parus
montanus)? From what I understand, in parts of Europe the Willow Tit is a
bird of the conifers (appropriate name, there BOU) while the Marsh is not.

All goes to show that chickadees are evil little tyrants, not the cute stuff
of ornamental china. Try banding one with a blister on your hand, they
instinctively find it and know to peck at it, as they do on the edge of your
nails- Ouch. If chickadees were the size of Sharp-shinned Hawks, not even
Don would try and band them.



Alvaro Jaramillo
Half Moon Bay, CA

alvaro at quake.net
http://www.quake.net/~alvaro/index.html