Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and Boreal Chickadees (Poecile hudsonicus) are two similar looking bird species found in North America. They belong to the chickadee family Paridae and have overlapping ranges across Canada and parts of the northern United States. While they may look almost identical at first glance, there are some key differences between these two species when it comes to their appearance, habitat, range, diet, behavior, conservation status and more.
Appearance
In terms of appearance, Black-capped Chickadees and Boreal Chickadees have quite a few similarities but also some distinguishing features:
- Size and shape: Both species are small songbirds, around 4.5-6 inches in length with round, plump bodies, short necks and short tails.
- Color pattern: They have the typical chickadee black cap and bib, white cheeks and belly, with grayish-brown back, wings and flanks.
- Black cap: The Black-capped Chickadee has a solid black cap that extends below the eyes while the Boreal Chickadee has a brownish-black cap that does not extend below the eyes.
- White cheek patches: The cheek patches on the Boreal Chickadee extend up higher, nearly meeting at the crown.
- Chest band: The Boreal Chickadee’s black chest band (bib) is wider compared to the Black-capped.
- Tail feathers: The outer tail feathers of the Boreal Chickadee are white whereas the Black-capped has gray outer tail feathers.
- Beak: Boreal Chickadees have a shorter, stouter bill compared to Black-capped Chickadees.
So in summary, the key differences are the extent of the black cap, width of the chest band, color of tail feathers and beak shape. The Boreal Chickadee has a shorter black cap, wider chest band, white outer tail feathers and shorter bill compared to the Black-capped Chickadee which has a longer black cap, narrower chest band, gray tail feathers and longer bill.
Range and Habitat
The Black-capped Chickadee has a wider range across North America while the Boreal Chickadee has a more northern distribution:
- Black-capped Chickadees are found across most of Canada, the northern half of the United States and down into the high elevation forests of the Appalachian Mountains in the Southeast.
- Boreal Chickadees are only found in the northern boreal forests of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and Newfoundland).
- The ranges overlap across Canada but Boreal Chickadees are restricted to the subarctic boreal habitat while Black-capped Chickadees have a much broader range into temperate forests, mixed woods and human settlements.
In terms of breeding habitat, Black-capped Chickadees use a wider variety of wooded habitats including deciduous, coniferous or mixed forests. Boreal Chickadees are restricted to conifer-dominated boreal forests, especially spruce, fir, pine and tamarack woods. In winter, Black-capped Chickadees sometimes join mixed flocks with other chickadees and other songbirds. Boreal Chickadees form flocks only with other Boreal Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches in winter within their boreal forest habitat.
Diet
The diet and foraging behavior of these two chickadees also show some differences:
- Both are omnivorous but the Boreal Chickadee is more specialized at extracting seeds from conifer cones.
- Black-capped Chickadees have a more varied diet including insects (spiders, caterpillars, flies, beetles etc.), seeds, berries and some human food scraps.
- Boreal Chickadees rely more heavily on insect prey in the summer (larvae, moths, sawflies, bark beetles etc.) and seeds from conifers in the winter (spruce, pine, hemlock, larch).
- Foraging style: Black-capped Chickadees are more likely to hang upside down from branches, flutter glean insects from leaves or hawk flying insects. Boreal Chickadees do more gleaning of trunks and branches in their conifer habitat.
So the Boreal Chickadee has a more specialized diet centered on conifer forests while the Black-capped has a broader food base across many habitat types.
Behavior
Some interesting differences in behavior between these two species include:
- Black-capped Chickadees are well known for their acrobatic performances, hanging upside down and in other positions while foraging. Boreal Chickadees do less acrobatic foraging.
- The Boreal Chickadee has a slower, more whistled call compared to the familiar “chick-a-dee-dee” of the Black-capped.
- Black-capped Chickadees have a complex social hierarchy with dominance related to age and sex. Boreal Chickadees have a less structured social system.
- Black-capped Chickadees are well-known for their intelligence, memory and spatial learning abilities. These cognitive skills have not been studied as extensively in Boreal Chickadees.
- Boreal Chickadees do not cache food over winter. Black-capped Chickadees make thousands of caches and rely on memory to recover them under the snow.
So in summary, the Black-capped Chickadee exhibits more behavioral complexity in terms of acrobatics, vocalizations, social systems and caching ability compared to the Boreal Chickadee which has a simpler behavioral repertoire.
Conservation Status
The conservation status of these two chickadees differs due to their range and population trends:
- The Black-capped Chickadee is listed as a species of Least Concern with an estimated global population of 23 million. Numbers are stable or increasing across most of its range.
- The Boreal Chickadee is listed as a species of Least Concern but has a much smaller total population (estimated at 7.4 million) due to its restricted northern range.
- The Boreal Chickadee population is declining in southeastern parts of its range due to habitat loss from logging and human activity. It may warrant more conservation attention in these marginal habitats.
- The wider range and adaptability of the Black-capped Chickadee provides resilience against localized habitat changes. Boreal Chickadees are more threatened by disturbance or loss of boreal forest habitat.
While neither species is currently considered globally threatened, the Boreal Chickadee has a higher risk status due to its small and declining populations in southern portions of its range in Canada.
Identification Tips
Here are some quick tips for identifying and distinguishing these two similar chickadee species:
- Check the black cap – if extends below the eyes, it’s a Black-capped Chickadee. If it’s just on the crown, likely a Boreal.
- Look at the chest bib – wider on Boreal, narrower on Black-capped.
- Note the tail feathers – white outer tail feathers indicate Boreal Chickadee.
- Listen to the call – the Boreal Chickadee call is a slower, whistled “fee-bee” versus the “chick-a-dee-dee” of the Black-capped.
- Consider the habitat – if you’re in northern boreal forest, especially with spruce, it’s more likely to be a Boreal Chickadee.
With good views or closer inspection, the differences in cap, cheek patch, bib, tail and bill size should be discernible. Listening for the vocalizations or noting habitat can provide supporting clues for identification in the field.
Feature | Black-capped Chickadee | Boreal Chickadee |
---|---|---|
Size | 4.5-5.75 in | 4.5-5.5 in |
Cap color and extent | Solid black, extends below eye | Brownish-black, crown only |
Chest bib | Narrow black band | Thicker black band |
Cheek patches | White, lower on face | White, extend higher near crown |
Tail feather color | Gray outer tail feathers | White outer tail feathers |
Beak | Longer, narrower | Shorter, stouter |
Habitat | Varied forests, mixed woods, human settlements | Boreal conifer forests |
Range | Most of Canada, northern half of US | Northern boreal Canada only |
Song | “Chick-a-dee-dee” | Slow, whistled “fee-bee” |
Conclusion
In summary, the Black-capped Chickadee and Boreal Chickadee are very similar in overall appearance but can be distinguished by subtle differences in plumage details like the cap, chest band, cheek patches and tail. The Black-capped has a broader habitat range, diet and behavioral repertoire while the Boreal is a more specialized northern species. Boreal Chickadees are more vulnerable to habitat disturbance and population declines. Paying attention to field marks, calls, habitat and range makes differentiating these two chickadees quite manageable.