TITMICE 



209 



iiig l.y R. I. Brashur 



BRIDLED TITMOUSE mat. size) 



markings about its throat suggest 



CHICKADEE 



Penthestes atricapillus atricapillus (Li)inccns) 



A C). I-. \iimliiT 7.!5 See folor Tlatc 103 



Other Names. — Common Chickadee : Eastern Chick- 

 adee ; Black-capped Chickadee; Black-capped Titmouse; 

 Black-capped Tit. 



General Description. — Length, 5-">4 inches. Upper 

 I)arts, gray and hlack ; under parts, white and black. 

 No crest ; bill, shorter than head ; wings, long and 

 rounded ; tail, shorter than wing, slightly rounded. 



Color. — Entire crown and hindneck (except lateral 

 portion of the latter) uniform deep black; back, 

 shoulders, middle and lesser wing-coverts, plain olive- 

 gray, passing into more bufify gray on rump and upper 

 tail-coverts ; wings and tail, dusky slate color ; .greater 

 wing-coverts and secondaries, broadly edged with pale 

 gray or .grayish-white ; tail-feathers edged with olive- 

 gray, these ed.gings becomin.g white on outermost 

 feathers; chin and whole throat, black; sides of head 



and neck, white; under parts of body, white, the sides 

 and Hanks tinged with buff; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : In deserted Woodpecker 

 Imles, natural cavities, old stumps (preferably white 

 birch), or fence posts; such openings are filled with 

 leaves, moss, grasses, snugly lined with hair, fur from 

 small animals, and feathers. Eggs ; 4 to 8, white, 

 spotted with chestnut and lilac-gray. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America; north to 

 Newfoundland, Quebec. Ontario, and southern Kee- 

 watin ; south regularly, to about latitude 40°, in New 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, northern Indiana, northern 

 Illinois. Iowa, etc., in .Mlegheny Mountains to North 

 Carolina (in spruce belt); irregularly (in winter) 

 to northern Virginia, Kentucky, soutliern Illinois, 

 Missouri, etc. 



