Tammie Rogers
Inspired by Dogs & Nature
Living On The Edge
Our property in Fayette County, Illinois sits along the edge that separates the zones of two related species; the Black-capped Chickadee and the Carolina Chickadee. Many different bird sites present maps of the territory where the two species overlap. Yep. It runs right through our area.
Various reference sites also present images – both photographs and illustrations – of the two species. After reviewing them, I have one thing to say. What? To my untrained eye, it’s nearly impossible to detect significant differences between the images.
A Range Map (AllAboutBirds)
Side By Side Illustrations (SibleyGuides)
Side By Side Photos (Audubon)
Recently, I’ve been fortunate to capture a number of good quality photos of the little birds that live on my farm. When I position a photo of one of “my” birds next to the page of the reference websites, I am at a complete loss.
I would love to know if the cute, little birds that rhythmically flit to my feeder to snatch up a peanut or other delicacy, is the more northern Black-capped or the more southern, Carolina Chickadee.
Knowing isn’t going to change anything, truly. But, I’m curious.
Here are several of my best photos of the chickadees that frequent my feeders and put the question out to the experts. They were taken between 12/17/20 and 12/26/20 – which should mean they are in good feather condition. Let me know what you think!
You seem to have Carolina Chickadees. Neat bibs, slightly smaller than Black Capped, song is different so springtime is a good time to hear the males sing.