Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
STATUS: Fairly common.
HABITAT: Inhabits boggy areas dominated by tamarack, black spruce, and white cedar, and dry, open forests of spruce or jack pine.
NEST: Sometimes nests in loose colonies. Usually builds nest on the ground, nearly buried in sphagnum mosses, but may nest in the low branches of conifer saplings.
FOOD: Forages on the ground, gleans food from twigs and conifer cones, and also catches flying insects. Mainly eats insects, but also some vegetable matter, especially barberries during winter.
REFERENCES: Bent 1953b, Griscom and Sprunt 1979.