[Tweeters] Black-capped Chickadees sounding like Mountain Chickadees

[David Kreft via Tweeters]

I’ve had this experience in NE WA. Myself and a wildlife biologist friend
(who is very adept at distinguishing flycatcher vocalizations) were both
baffled by what we heard and just “knew” must be a Mountain chickadee, only
to have a Black-capped appear on a branch and show us the truth. Now, I
 trust I’m hearing a chickadee…but I try my darndest to verify with visual.

Dave Kreft
Kettle Falls

On Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 8:36 PM Louise via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:


> When in areas where both species are expected, I have definitely heard

> alarm calls that I would have sworn was mountain chickadee until I set eyes

> on the bird and watched that sound come from a black-capped. Several of

> those experiences have made me very reluctant to categorise them by heard

> only on e-bird.

>

> Louise Rutter

> Kirkland

>

> On Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 8:11 PM Eric Ellingson via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

>> Hello,

>>

>> I'm wondering if anyone knows much about Black-capped Chickadees sounding

>> like Mountain Chickadees. I seem to remember reading somewhere that if the

>> BCCH are raised near the MOCH they can pick up a "dialect". The reason I'm

>> asking is because two of the Bird Sound Identification apps have given me

>> MOCH when I definitely don't see them around in the Blaine, WA area. I'm

>> not saying it is improbable, just not expected.

>> Merlin has done this before and recently BirdNET gives a 89% confidence

>> rating. I have a good sonogram showing the sound. Anyway, ideas? Anyone

>> wanting the recording can DM me.

>>

>> Eric Ellingson

>>

>> 360-820-6396

>> esellingson at gmail.com

>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericellingson/

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