TITMICE 
311 
Nesting. Nest a large structure of sticks in tlie lower branches of conifers on the 
mountain sides. 
Distribution. Western North America. In Canada, throughout the mountain regions 
from Alaska through British Columbia, south mostly east of the Coast Range. East, 
casually as far as Saskatchewan. 
Clarke’s Nutcracker, named after the junior leader of the Lewis and 
Clarke expedition that first brought the species to the attention of science, 
is one of the most interesting birds of the mountains. It comes into camp 
almost as freely as its relative, the Canada Jay or Whiskey Jack, and like 
it in some localities is called “Camp Robber. 7 ’ It is a very noisy and talk- 
ative bird, with many queer antics. One of the best places to study this 
species is in the Banff National Park. Here almost any morning in summer 
its harsh voice is one of the first sounds that steals in through the bed- 
room windows and by following the sound, one may soon come upon a 
small party performing their peculiar gymnastics anti loudly discussing 
neighbourhood topics in the evergreens near at hand. 
FAMILY P Alii DA E. TITMICE 
The titmice are birds of wide distribution in the northern hemisphere 
and are as familiar to European residents as to us. They are small birds 
with rather short but comparatively strongly arched bills (Figure 404). 
Their plumage characters are usually easily recognized. 
735. Black-capped Chickadee, chickadee, la mesange a t£te noike. Pen - 
thestes atricapillus. L, 5*25. Plate LI A. A diminutive bird. Back, olive grey, with 
intensely black crown spreading over face to eyes and down back of 
neck; below white with sandy suffusion on Hanks; a full black 
throat in sharp contrast with pure white cheeks. 
Distinctions. Easily recognized as a titmouse or chickadee. 
The intensely black crown and throat will separate from the Brown- 
headed; the lack of white eyebrow stripe from the Mountain; and 
the lack of rufous from the Chestnut- backed Chickadees. 
Field Marks. Their shape, a round bundle of feathers with long 
tail and no appreciable neck, and the contrastive face marks make 
them easily recognizable. Except in British Columbia not likely 
to require separation from anything but the Brown-headed Chickadee . 
1'he intensely black instead of brown head and throat marks, and its clearly uttered 
Figure 404 
Blitck-eapped Chick 
adee; scale, 
"Chick-adee-dee,” 
paratively easy. 
Nesting. In 
plant-down. 
Distrib niton. 
tree limit. 
instead of a flatter and hoarser u Chick-adaa-daa , ’ ’ make separation corn- 
old stumps, holes in trees, etc. Nest of moss, grasses, feathers, and 
North America. In Canada, across the Dominion north to near the 
SUBSPECIES. Three subspecies are recognized in Canada. The Eastern Chickadee 
(la Mesange it tete noire de l’Est) Penthestes atricapiUus atricapillus occurs westward to 
or near the Manitoba line. The Long-tailed Chickadee (la Mesange a longue queue) 
Penthestes atricapillus septentrionalis continues from there to the east side of the Coast 
Range in British Columbia. It averages a slightly longer tail and some very fine colour 
differences, none of which is constant enough for recognition without a large series for 
comparison and which are too slight for popular observation. The Oregon Chickadee 
( la Mesange de I’Ordgon) Penthestes atricapillus occidentals is the chickadee of the southern 
British Columbia coast. It is a rather more decidedly marked race, shorter in wing and 
rail than either of the above, and with slightly darker, more olive, less ochraceous, back. 
Through the coldest, most blustery, or the wettest and rawest of days, 
if a Chickadee is to be found, it will be “chickadeeing” as cheerfully as in the 
brightest weather. A discouraged Chickadee is yet to be seen by the 
writer. In the autumn and winter when birds are scarce one should listen 
