Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis


Carolina Chickadee

The Carolina Chickadee is virtually indistinguishable by sight from its close cousin, the Black-capped Chickadee, but their range only overlaps in a few places. One of these, however, is southwestern Virginia, where I photographed the bird shown above. I was able to identify it as a Carolina from its distinctive four-note song, clearly different from the simple "fee-bee" of the Black-capped.


Carolina Chickadee
My second brush with this bird came in April 2015, on the edge of Appalachia in
southeastern Ohio, where the only chickadee expected is the Carolina. Above,
carrying nesting material; below, singing while surrounded by redbud blossoms.



Caroline Chickadee