Below are photos
of a Black-capped Chickadee (top) and a Carolina Chickadee (bottom) that
we banded on 3/28/01. Carolinas are very rare in the mountains of
SW Pennsylvania where Powdermill is located, but common just 25 miles (40
km) or so to the west. The bird pictured below, aged after second
year (ASY), was the third Carolina we've banded since last March--only
25 have been banded here in 40 years. In particular, note the whitish
edging on the greater coverts of the Black-capped, absent on the Carolina.
Identification of the two species in the hand is confirmed by large differences
in the proportionate lengths of their tails. Within the area of wing
length overlap between the species, the tail length for Carolinas is about
8mm shorter on average.
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