Gray-headed Chickadee

Poecile cinctus

Also known as:Alaskan Chickadee, Siberian Tit

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Identification

Field notes

14 cm (5-6") Rare. Alaska, Yukon, northwestern Mackenzie. Subarctic spruce forests, willows along tundra. Was inappropriately called Siberian Tit.

Grayish brown upperparts. Large white cheek. Black throat. Told from very similar Boreal Chickadee by a much larger white cheek patch, buffy (not brown) sides and a longer tail.

Song: a weak "dee-deer".

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Videos

1 video

Gray-headed Chickadee

Credit: Borderkingg

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Gray-Headed Chickadee (Siberian Tit, Alaskan Chickadee)

2 rules

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 2

What colour was the SIDE ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird) · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northwestern Canada or United States

result:672-gray-headed-chickadee-siberian-tit-alaskan-chickadee:1:1 Source: 672 Gray-Headed Chickadee (Siberian Tit, Alaskan Chickadee), row 1

Rule 2 6 criteria confidence 1

Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?: Foraging by hanging upside down
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northwestern Canada or United States

result:672-gray-headed-chickadee-siberian-tit-alaskan-chickadee:2:1 Source: 672 Gray-Headed Chickadee (Siberian Tit, Alaskan Chickadee), row 2