Mexican chickadee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mexican chickadee |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Poecile
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| Species: |
sclateri
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| Range of Poecile sclateri | |
| Synonyms | |
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Parus sclateri |
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The Mexican chickadee (Poecile sclateri) is a small songbird. It belongs to the tit family, which includes many types of chickadees. This bird is known for its unique calls and its home in the mountains.
Contents
What Does a Mexican Chickadee Look Like?
Mexican chickadees are small birds, usually about 12.5 to 13.5 centimeters (about 5 inches) long. Their wings can spread out to 18 to 21 centimeters (about 7 to 8 inches). They weigh between 7.5 and 11 grams, which is about as much as a few paper clips!
Both male and female Mexican chickadees look alike. They have a black cap on their head and white cheeks. Their beak is short and black. Their backs and sides are gray, and their belly is a lighter grayish color.
How to Tell Them Apart
The Mexican chickadee looks a lot like other chickadees, such as the black-capped chickadee and the mountain chickadee. However, you can spot a Mexican chickadee by its long black bib. This bib goes from its chin all the way down to its upper chest. It's longer than the bibs on other chickadees. Below this black bib, there's a whitish stripe that runs down the middle of its belly.
Where Do Mexican Chickadees Live?
Mexican chickadees live in the high, wooded areas of western, central, and northeastern Mexico. Their home range also stretches north into a small part of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico in the United States.
These birds usually stay in one place and do not migrate far. However, when winter gets very cold, some Mexican chickadees might fly to lower areas where it's a bit warmer.
What Do Mexican Chickadees Sound Like?
The song of the Mexican chickadee is special and different from other chickadees. It's a complex, trilled whistle that sounds like chischu-wur. They also make a rich cheelee sound.
These birds often travel in pairs or small groups. Sometimes, they join larger groups of different bird species to find food together.
Mexican Chickadee Life Cycle and Reproduction
Mexican chickadees build their nests in holes in trees or in dead tree stumps. The female bird builds the nest, which can be as high as 18 meters (about 60 feet) off the ground. She uses materials like grasses, moss, and strips of bark. To make it cozy, she lines the nest with soft animal fur.
Eggs and Young Birds
The female lays between five and eight eggs. The eggs are white and oval-shaped, with small reddish-brown spots. She sits on the eggs to keep them warm, a process called incubation, for about 11 to 14 days.
When the chicks hatch, they are very tiny and helpless. They need their parents to feed and care for them. The young birds stay in the nest for about 18 to 21 days before they are ready to fly out on their own.
Images for kids
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A Mexican chickadee perched on a branch.
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Map showing where Mexican chickadees live.
See also
In Spanish: Carbonero mexicano para niños
