Fun Mexican Chickadee Facts For Kidsred-tailed hawks

A passerine bird of the tit family Paridae, the Mexican chickadee (Poecile sclateri) is found in a few countries of North America. The species is a permanent resident of wooded highlands in western, central and northeastern Mexico. The range also extends north into extreme southeastern Arizona and New Mexico.

The species is not sexually dimorphic as adults have a black cap, while the cheeks are white. They also possess a short bill. The back and flangs of the birds are gray, while the underparts are pale gray. The darker gray plumage and longer black bib help to distinguish these birds from the black-capped chickadee and mountain chickadee. The average wingspan of the bird is around 7-8.2 in (18–21 cm).

This species inhabits pine-oak forests, coniferous forests, and mountains. These non-migratory birds sometimes fly to lower elevations during the winter season. They usually fly either in pairs or small groups, while some birds may join flocks or other species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the species in the Least Concern category as the population seems stable at the moment. These birds may face severe threats such as habitat loss in the coming years.

Let's read more fun facts about the Mexican chickadee, and if you find this article interesting, don't forget to check out exciting facts about different animals like the mountain chickadee and the boreal chickadee.

What type of animal is a Mexican chickadee?

The Mexican chickadee (Poecile sclateri) is one of the many cute little birds of North America. An unknown fact about this bird is that it shouts its own name, and the call goes like 'chick-a-dee'. The diet of this species generally includes insects, spiders, and seeds.

What class of animal does a Mexican chickadee belong to?

The Mexican chickadee (Poecile sclateri) belongs to the class of Aves, the Paridae family, and the genus Poecile. The Paridae family is also known as the tit family.

How many Mexican chickadees are there in the world?

The global population of the Mexican chickadee (Poecile sclateri) is around 500,000-5,000,000 individuals. There are no signs of decline in the numbers as of now and the species is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.

Where does a Mexican chickadee live?

This species is native to North America and occurs in several parts of Mexico, while the range also includes southeastern Arizona and New Mexico.

What is a Mexican chickadee's habitat?

The preferred habitats of this birds include coniferous and pine-oak forests at high altitudes, while this species is also broadly distributed in the mountain forests in several parts of Mexico. Also, these birds sometimes fly to lower elevations during the winter season.

Who do Mexican chickadees live with?

Like other birds of the Paridae family, the Mexican chickadee is generally found in pairs or small groups, and the bird may join multi-species feeding flocks. During the breeding season, these birds are found in pairs.

How long does a Mexican chickadee live?

The Mexican chickadee is a small bird with a high metabolic rate that is generally responsible for a short life span. No information regarding the life expectancy rate of this species is available as of now, but chickadees generally live no more than two years. However, some of them may live for around 10 years.

How do they reproduce?

Mexican chickadees use similar breeding methods as other species of the Poecile genus, and these birds are known to be extremely vocal. During the spring season, these vocalizations are used to attract mates. These birds are monogamous which means the pair remains for life. Also, male plumage has no role in attracting females during the breeding season.

Female chickadees generally choose the nest site and construct the nest mainly in a dying tree which is 5-45 ft (1.5-13.7 m) above the ground. The nest is mainly constructed with moss, grasses, and animal fur. Females mainly lay around five to eight eggs that have reddish-brown patches, and they incubate them for around 11-14 days. The chicks become full developed in around 18-21 days.

What is their conservation status?

 The species is listed as Least Concern in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. These birds have an extremely large range, but the population may be affected by threats like habitat destruction and predation.

What do Mexican chickadees look like?

The species is not sexually dimorphic as both adults have a black cap, white cheeks, and they also possess a short bill. The back and flangs of the birds are gray, while the underparts are pale gray. The darker gray plumage and a longer black bib help to distinguish these birds from the black-capped chickadee and mountain chickadee.

How cute are they?

The Mexican chickadee is one of the most adorable birds you could ever see in states like New Mexico and Arizona. Their social nature makes them even more fascinating, and they not only interact with themselves but also form interspecies foraging groups.

How do they communicate?

Like other species, the Mexican chickadee bird uses similar methods to communicate. This species possesses a complex blurry trilled whistle 'chischu-wur' while 'cheelee' is the most prominent call. Also, they sing several songs during the breeding season to set boundaries and pursue females. Females sing a recurring 'dee-dee-dee' sound during the breeding season to attract a male. The unique 'chick-a-dee' call is made when these birds group together to attack a predator.

How big is a Mexican chickadee?

The average weight and length of this bird are around 0.01-0.02 lb (7.5–11 g) and 4.9-5.3 in (12.5–13.5 cm), respectively. The average wingspan of the bird is around 7-8.2 in (18–21 cm). The bird is twice the size of a house finch, while a few are bigger than a red finch.

How fast can a Mexican chickadee fly?

The exact speed of the Mexican chickadee is not known at the moment. Other species of the Poecile genus are known for flying short distances in a bounding motion.

How much does a Mexican chickadee weigh?

The average weight of the Mexican chickadee is around 0.01-0.02 lb (7.5–11 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the male and female birds. People generally call them Mexican chickadees. The species is not sexually dimorphic and both male and female birds are very much similar.

What would you call a baby Mexican chickadee?

Like other birds, the babies of Mexican chickadees are known as chicks.

What do they eat?

These birds are carnivores and prey on insects, spiders, seeds, berries, eggs, while chickadees are often preyed upon by red-tailed hawks and minks.

Are they dangerous?

These birds are not dangerous at all but can attack if they feel threatened or provoked.

Would they make a good pet?

No, chickadees are not considered good pets and keeping them in captivity is even illegal in some places. However, chickadees become quite friendly when people feed them. You can befriend a chickadee by placing a feeder in your yard. Also, this species likes to eat sunflower seeds.

Did you know...

There are more than 1100 species of birds found in Mexico.

What are chickadees known for?

Chickadees are known for hiding food so that they can consume it later.

Do chickadees abandon their babies?

Generally, female chickadees do not abandon their eggs, but other species sometimes abandon their babies to enhance the survival probability of their other chicks.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our magpie fun facts and hawk interesting facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable birds of prey coloring pages.