Stanley Park Explorer

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December 27

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Places to Visit and Explore Nature in Stanley Park Ecosystem Guides: Conifer Forest Stanley Park Visitor Map: with Park Features, Trails, and Destinations Beaver Lake

Chestnut-backed Chickadee It takes only the slightest stretch of the imagination to believe that chestnut-backed chickadees 'welcome' winter visitors to Stanley Park. This chickadee, along with its cousin, the black-capped chickadee keeps a beady eye open for any park visitor who stops along a forest trail. When chickadees arent't travelling through the forest in mixed feeding groups, they 'hang out' in numbers around The Beaver Lake Loop trail. Both species will come to an outstretched, open, hand but the chestnut-backed seems more open-minded about accepting food from people. Chickadees aren't your typical thick-billed seed eater, and how they cope with seeds is just one sign of their intelligence and resourcefulness. Unable to crush hard-coated seeds in their thin bills, chickadees will take the seed to a perch, hold it firmly with one or both feet, and hammer the seed with the tip of their bill until it cracks open. These small forest sprites practically line-up waiting to make their dash for food. Taking turns may not just be a matter of politeness but rather behviour enforced on subordinates by more dominant birds. In fact, when I think how chickadee's control behaviour within the flock, its easy to belive that they've trained park visitors to provide them with food!       Field Guide Entry: Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Stanley Park Explorer http://www.stanleyparkexplorer.ca Produced by Peter Woods naturalist@stanleyparkexplorer.ca           Revised: May 20, 2011