Paridae Birds

     I have seen many black-capped and Carolina chickadees, lots of tufted titmice, and one lone boreal chickadee in my lifetime here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  We have one or two pairs of Carolina chickadees and a few titmice on our lawn the year around.  Many people like chickadees and titmice because they are hardy, lively, readily seen, seemingly cheerful in all kinds of weather, and come to bird feeders the year around.  They are some peoples' favorite birds.    
     Twelve species of birds in the Paridae family live in North America.  They are divided into two major groups, but both are in the Parus genus- chickadees and titmice.  Paridae originated in Eurasia, where there are several kinds of them to this day, as well as other, related species that, together, cover most every habitat in North America, but the Arctic tundra.
     All these species are small, averaging four and a half to five and a half inches long, depending on the kind.  All nest in cavities, are permanent residents where they hatched and consume insects, insect eggs, seeds and berries.  These petite birds are handsome in plain ways, and all types of each group have the same pattern of colors in their feathering, showing their close ancestry to each other.  And all travel in small groups, sometimes with other kinds of small birds, including golden-crowned kinglets, as they forage for food through winter.
     Seven types of chickadees live in North America, including black-capped, Carolina, mountain, Mexican, boreal, chestnut-backed and gray-headed.  All these types of chickadees are plain gray or brown on top, with black or dark caps, depending on the kind, white cheeks and black bibs.  And all utter the classic "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" though it is raspy with some species. 
     Black-capped, Carolina and Mexican chickadees are almost identical, with only slight difference in appearance.  Mountain chickadees would be identical to their close relatives, except this kind has a white stripe above each eye and a black line through each one, something none of the other American chickadees have. 
     Each of these four species lives in a different part of North America, with some overlapping.  Black-caps dwell in the northern two-thirds of the United States and southwestern Canada, while Carolinas inhabit the southeastern United States.  Mountain chickadees live among the forested mountains of the western United States and Canada, while the Mexican chickadee lives in parts of Arizona and New Mexico, and in Mexico itself.
     Boreal chickadees are more brown than gray and have a lighter cap.  Boreals live in the mixed deciduous/coniferous forests of Canada and Alaska.  The one boreal I saw was in Lancaster County. 
     Chestnut-backed chickadees have brown backs and flanks and black caps.  They live in forested mountains of the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada.
     Gray-headed chickadees have gray caps.  They live among spruce, willow and aspen trees on the edges of the tundra in Alaska and western Canada.
     Five kinds of titmice together also live through much of North America, but not as far north as the chickadees.  The titmice on this continent include tufted, black-crested, bridled, oak and juniper.  All species are light-gray above and lighter below.   All have a crest.  And male titmice of all these species sing whistled songs during their spring breeding seasons.      
     Tufted titmice are the most common of their clan in North America.  They live in deciduous woods and older suburban areas throughout the eastern half of the United States.  This species has peach flanks and a black mark above the beak.  Males of this species repeatedly and loudly sings "peter, peter, peter" early in spring. 
     Black-crested titmice are almost like tufted titmice, except the present kind has a black crest.  This type of bird also sings like its eastern cousin, but dwells in Mexico, and parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. 
     Bridled titmice have black-bordered, gray crests, a white streak over each eye, a black stripe through each one, white cheeks and a black bib.  This bird lives in Mexico.
     Oak and juniper titmice are two closely related, almost identical titmice.  Both species are plain gray all over.  Oak titmice live in dry, oak woods in California, while juniper titmice dwell among junipers and desert woods along waterways   in the American southwest, but not in California.
     Chickadees and titmice are delightful, little birds through most of North America.  They are mostly permanent residents wherever they hatched and are a joy to experience.