BC/Boreal Chickadee ranges

[Brian A]

Last weekend we dropped off my son at LSSU at the Soo and I did a little birding in the morning at the Algonquin trails NE of the city.

This area appears very boreal to me, most of the trees are spruce and birch with a few tamaracks.  The only mammal I saw was a snowshoe hare  as I  crunched through the snow and the 11 degree morning and about the only bird  I saw was Black-capped Chickadee.

Earlier this winter I visited in-laws in Columbus, Ohio and enjoyed seeing the Carolina Chickadees there.  I have never seen a Black-capped at that location.

Now I wonder why there is such a species cline between Ann Arbor, Michigan with its forest (and climate) not too different from Columbus, Ohio and only 3 hours away and yet in a boreal forest about 5 hours north of Ann Arbor it would be very unusual to encounter a Boreal Chickadee?

Thank you for your response all you zoogeographers.

Brian Allen
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