Photo: Lorne Heshka
 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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2.73 (1.2 - 4.25)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Characteristics and Range The Black-capped Chickadee is a familiar, resident passerine with a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and mostly grey back, and is well known for its namesake vocalization chick-a-dee-dee. It resides from Newfoundland, across the boreal forest and the Rocky Mountains to Alaska and south to the northern third of the conterminous U.S.A., narrowly overlapping with the Carolina Chickadee from Kansas to Ohio and Pennsylvania. Although not migratory, this species is subject to long-distance post-fledging dispersal and irruptive movements (Foote et al. 2010).
Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat The Black-capped Chickadee was recorded throughout the Prairie Potholes and the boreal forest to ~58.5°N. The distribution matched that estimated in The Birds of Manitoba; however, records in 10 squares near Shamattawa, Gillam, and Tadoule Lake, plus a confirmed breeding record near Cape Tatnum, suggest a northern range extension of at least 200 km. This distribution within the Taiga Shield & Hudson Plains is nonetheless likely to be scarce and patchy, perhaps in association with deciduous habitat. The distribution may match the range depicted by Foote et al. (2010), who showed an occupied strip along the coast of western Hudson Bay from Ontario to Cape Tatnum that is disjunct from the species' range in the central boreal forest, despite the absence of records along the Hudson Bay coast in Ontario (Cheskey 2007). The Black-capped Chickadee frequents a variety of habitats with a preference for deciduous and mixed woods, parks, willow swales, and forest edges (Foote et al. 2010). The confirmed breeding near Hudson Bay was in a shrubby, deciduous strip along a creek (C. Artuso, pers. obs.).
Relative abundance was highest in the Boreal Hardwood Transition and the southern portions of the Boreal Taiga Plains and Boreal Softwood Shield, and generally lower in the Prairie Potholes with the exception of the slopes of the Manitoba Escarpment along the transition of the Prairie Potholes and the Boreal Taiga Plains. Relative abundance generally decreased northward of these areas of peak abundance, especially in the northern Boreal Softwood Shield, becoming very low in the Taiga Shield & Hudson Plains. The probability of observation showed a similar pattern to relative abundance, but within the Prairie Potholes there was a higher likelihood of detection in the southern portions of the Manitoba Escarpment (Arden Ridge and Turtle Mountains) than in the surrounding lowlands.
Trends, Conservation, and Recommendations Although the Black-capped Chickadee is well-adapted to Manitoba winters and generally abundant, it is prone to population fluctuations (Foote et al. 2010). Despite the lack of a trend in Canada, BBS data show a significant increase in Manitoba since the 1970s, although the reliability is only medium, in part because this species is relatively inconspicuous during the survey period. This species may benefit from forest clearing for agriculture, as this can increase the forest edge habitat they prefer, but it may also remove key natural nest sites (Foote et al. 2010).
Recommended citation: Mastrolonardo, S. 2018. Black-capped Chickadee in Artuso, C., A. R. Couturier, K. D. De Smet, R. F. Koes, D. Lepage, J. McCracken, R. D. Mooi, and P. Taylor (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, 2010-2014. Bird Studies Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=BCCH&lang=en [13 Oct 2024]
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