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Birding Colorado Springs: Nuthatches, Chickadees & Etc.

Birds commonly seen in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.

Chickadees, Nuthatches & etc.

Small birds often seen at feeders in mixed flocks. Chickadees are acrobatic, curious birds. Nuthatches cling to tree trunks. Further down, an assortment of Little Brown Jobs are included here as they could be mistaken for other birds on this page.

Mountain Chickadee

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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

Red-breasted Nuthatch

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Author: Snowmanradio. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Similar in appearance to White-breasted Nuthatch except for eyestripe and red breast; also is shorter in length
  • Voice is nasal, similar to voice of White-breasted Nuthatch; call sounds like "yank yank yank"
  • In the West, prefers coniferous trees
  • Sometimes visits feeders

Brown Creeper

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Author: Kelly Colgan Azar. Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic.

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Widspread but most often seen during migration. Look for single Creepers in the vicinity of other migrating birds.
  • Moves up tree trunks; plumage provides camouflage against tree bark
  • Call is a high, plaintive peeping

Juniper Titmouse

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Author:Tony Randell. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call/Song (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Small grayish bird with crest, seen in the vicinity of Garden of the Gods
  • Shyer and plainer than its eastern counterpart, the Tufted Titmouse
  • Formerly classed with Oak Titmouse as a single species, Plain Titmouse

Black-Capped Chickadee

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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

White-breasted Nuthatch

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Author: Snowmanradio. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Widespread bird, found in suburban areas
  • Note blue-gray back and lack of eye stripe
  • Nasal voice
  • Eats both insects and seed; will come to both seed and suet feeders

Pygmy Nuthatch

https://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/search/Display.asp?FlNm=trogaedo
Author: Len Blumin. Creative Commons Attribution Generic 2.0

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay library) Video (YouTube)
  • Smaller than other nuthatches, very energetic
  • High, squeaky voice, not nasal like White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • Prefers Ponderosa Pine habitat

Bushtit

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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.