Mexican Chickadee

Poecile sclateri

Explore this bird

Identification

13 cm (5") Uncommon and local. Southeastern Arizona (Chiricahua Mountains) and southwestern New Mexico (Animas Mountains). Mountain conifers.

Resembles a Black-capped Chickadee but has more extensive black on throat extending to upper breast and gray sides.

Song: warbled whistle, low buzzy call "dzay-dzee".

Details in the field

4 photos

Credit: crosson_p

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.

2 rules

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 1

What colour was the SIDE ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · 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 ?: Light area between the bill and the eye · Light area running up the side of the neck or head · Sideburn stripe running down beneath the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · Ear "tufts" or horns · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: 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 ?: Southwestern United States

result:668-mexican-chickadee:1:1 Source: 668 Mexican 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 ?: Southwestern United States

result:668-mexican-chickadee:2:1 Source: 668 Mexican Chickadee, row 2