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Birding Colorado Springs: Tiny Birds

Birds commonly seen in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.

Tiny Birds

Tiny birds are grouped together here for ease of identification. Most are not related to each other.

Black-Capped Chickadee

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stirwise/2450795738/sizes/m/
Author: stirwise (Kerry Lannert) Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds Call (Macaulay Library) Video (YouTube)
  • Small, energetic, acrobatic bird
  • Relatively tame and bold; often seen at feeders, and usually investigates new feeders before other birds
  • Scolding call is a "chick-a-dee-dee-dee"; song is a simple two notes
  • Survives cold winter nights by going into torpor

House Wren

https://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/search/Display.asp?FlNm=trogaedo
Author: Uknown.Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Public Domain.

Info (All About Birds) Song (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Plain brown bird which cocks tail and can be surprisingly bold, especially when near nest
  • Song is very loud and clear-ringing
  • Eats insects and spiders
  • Winters in Central and South America

Mountain Chickadee

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Poecile_gambeli2.jpg
Author: Jerry Friedman. GNU Free Documentation License, v.1.2; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts

Info (All About Birds) Song (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Similar to Black-capped Chickadee except for eye stripe
  • Prefers higher elevations and coniferous trees, but can be seen in suburban Colorado Springs
  • Song and call are similar to that of Black-capped, but song has more notes

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marklwatson/5970502627/
Author: Mark Watson. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call and Buzz (Macaulay Library) Video (YouTube)
  • Male Broad-tailed has red gorget (throat); female has plain throat and is less colorful overall
  • Male makes a characteristic high-pitched buzz as it flies; more often heard than seen
  • Individuals can go into torpor on cold nights

Bushtit

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pazzani/6267472947/
Author: Mike’s Birds. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Tiny, acrobatic bird, often seen around houses and CC campus.
  • Flock movement is similar to a cloud of gnats travelling along lines of bushes or trees.
  • Birds are rather tame. If you stand in the path of the flock, they may pass very near you.
  • Female has yellow eyes
  • Eats insects and spiders; also berries, seeds, and suet.

Blue-gray Gnatchatcher

https://www.flickr.com/photos/puttefin/8652929371/
Author: Kelly Colgan Azar. Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Pert, very energetic bird; often cocks tail
  • Look for white eye ring and white edges on tail
  • Call is a squeaky wheeze