Chickadee question

[hikingmaineac]

I saw a group of chickadees today @ the junction of the Stony Brook trail w/the AT, and was surprised to see normally white feathers replaced by rusty looking feathers.

I attached a really really poor photo of one of them.

I know that some birds change colors for the winter and back again in the spring/summer - but wasn't aware that the chickadee was one of them.

Any aspiring or legitimate ornithologists out there care to enlighten me?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Most of the chickadees we're used to seeing at the bird feeders are Black Capped Chickadees. The ones you see high in the mountains are a close relative, and I think this one's called a Boreal Chickadee. They have a slightly fainter call, but still rather friendly.

One winter a rather enterprising Boreal quickly learned where hikers would stop on the Tuckerman Winter trail to don crampons, have a snack, etc, just before the steeps, and it would nearly eat out of your hand.

 

[hikingmaineac]

Ah ha! Thanks for the info, Kevin!