Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee has surged: up 151% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Chestnut-backed Chickadee
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) is a North American member of the Chickadees & Titmice (Paridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–6 in long (11–15 cm) — a tiny, active songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 245 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 6 states, most concentrated in the Northern Pacific Rainforest.
- Family
- Paridae · Forest birds
Notable Chestnut-backed Chickadee Trends
Chestnut-backed Chickadee has surged in surveyed states: up 151% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Chestnut-backed Chickadee is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.56 (95% range 0.42–0.69). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±15%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.54 | 0.40 | 0.68 |
| 2026 | 0.54 | 0.40 | 0.68 |
| 2027 | 0.55 | 0.41 | 0.69 |
| 2028 | 0.55 | 0.41 | 0.69 |
| 2029 | 0.56 | 0.42 | 0.69 |
Where the Chestnut-backed Chickadee Is Detected
BBS routes recording Chestnut-backed Chickadee, sized by most recent count.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +169% | 1975 | 28 |
| California | -46% | 1970 | 75 |
| Idaho | +207% | 1979 | 15 |
| Montana | +39% | 1988 | 11 |
| Oregon | +94% | 1970 | 56 |
| Washington | +65% | 1970 | 60 |
Chestnut-backed Chickadee Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +39% | 1970 | 144 |
| Great Basin | +450% | 1971 | 24 |
| Northern Rockies | +393% | 1979 | 35 |
| Sierra Nevada | +272% | 1976 | 10 |
| Coastal California | -46% | 1970 | 32 |
Chestnut-backed Chickadee Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 151% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.