Long-Tailed Chickadee in Arizona
Long-tailed Chickadee in Arizona
To my knowledge there are no reported specimens of the Long-tailed Chickadee (Penthestes atricapillus septentrionalis) from Arizona, although sight records have been recorded both from Grand Canyon National Park and San Francisco Peak, Coconino County. Records from the files of the Park Service supplied by Louis Schellbach are as follows: January 2, 1935, R. K. Grater observed two on a feeding board at the McKee residence, Grand Canyon Viiage; near the same locality, E. D. McKee saw a pair in yellow pines on July 1, 1927 ; and across the canyon on Walhalla Plateau of the North Rim, Grater saw three on June 2 1, 1935. In the San Francisco Mountains Jenks reports “parents feeding young” in the Hudsonian Zone (Grand Canyon National Park, Technical Bull. No. 5, p. 20).
The Long-tailed Chickadee probably is a fairly common fall visitant, at least locally, in the Tsegi Canyons, Navajo County, Arizona. Although Hargrave and Wetherill did not find this species in these canyons during the winter of 1934, the writer saw this bird almost daily in Betatakin Canyon flom October 4 to 26, 1935. On the 23rd, ten were counted in one group feeding on cones of the Douglas fir. The Mountain Chickadee (Penthestes gambdi gambdi) is a common resident in the region, there being winter specimens in the Museum of Northern Arizona, as well as daily observations almost throughout the year. It is probable that many sight and sound records recorded under Pentkestes gambeli should refer to Penthestes atricapillus, since atricapillus was identified as soon as its occurrence was considered probable.
Anderson (Condor, vol. 36, 1934, p. 78) made no mention of the Long-tailed Chickadee in Arizona, but its occurrence in the state is now attested by a specimen of an adult male found by the writer on October 23, 1936, in Betatakin Canyon. This specimen is number 28.838 in the collection of the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff. The conspicuous buff of the sides and flanks distinguishes this specimen from Pentkestes sclateri and identifies it definitely as Pentkestes atricapillus. Upon geographic grounds it is considered to belong to the race sefitentriomdis. Identification has been checked by Hargrave, of the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Milton A. Wetherill
Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, November 10, 1936
