Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Synopsis: Nests widely in tree cavities in coniferous forests from the east slope of the Cascades to the coast, and separately in the Wallowa Mountains. In contrast to distribution described in Gilligan et al. (1994), atlas project data do not indicate this species currently nests in southern and western parts of the Blue Mountains.

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Sitka Spruce-W. Hemlock Maritime Forest (402570 acres)
Douglas Fir-W. Hemlock-W. Red Cedar Forest (6557328 acres)
Douglas Fir-Port Orford Cedar Forest (166447 acres)
strong
Mountain Hemlock Montane Forest (198027 acres)
True Fir-Hemlock Montane Forest (1421821 acres)
Shasta Red Fir-Mountain Hemlock Forest (52114 acres)
Jeffery Pine Forest/Woodland (53780 acres)
Conifer Woodland on Serpentine Bedrock (51874 acres)
Coastal Lodgepole Forest (757 acres)
Douglas Fir-Mixed Deciduous Forest (2934 acres)
Douglas Fir-White Fir/Tanoak-Madrone Mixed Forest (1073778 acres)
Douglas Fir/White Oak Forest (183097 acres)
Douglas Fir dominant - Mixed Conifer Forest (2363120 acres)
Mixed Conifer/Mixed Deciduous Forest (1422534 acres)
South coast Mixed Forest (2888 acres)
some
Edges of Recently Cutover/Burnt Forest (1450039 acres)
Western Oregon Riverine Woodland (26011 acres)
lesser
Northeast Mixed Conifer Forest (741848 acres)
Subalpine Fir-Lodgepole Pine Montane Conifer (264598 acres)
Siskiyou Mtns Mixed Deciduous Forest (193133 acres)
Urban/Residential (509608 acres)

Relative Detectability: Fairly easy to spot this species and confirm breeding by noting fledglings with adults.

Challenge: Determine if this species has disappeared from parts of the Blue Mountains in northeastern Grant, southern Union, northern Baker, and southern Wallowa Counties.