Black-capped Chickadee
This familiar little bird seems to be in constant motion. It can be seen hopping from branch to branch and tree to tree. Named for its easily recognized song, chick-a-dee-dee-dee, the Chickadee is a regular visitor to backyard bird feeders.
Shall I sing for you?
Description
Range and Habitat
The most brilliant singers are the birds of the woods, and the Black-capped Chickadee is no exception. It prefers the deciduous and mixed forests, and open woodlands, but can also be found in wetlands, thickets, parks and wooded backyards. They can be found in the northern part of the United States and the southern regions of Canada, as well as along the eastern seaboard as far south as Virginia. They are a non-migratory bird and are one of the few birds willing to tough out the winter in their northern habitat. Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickad...
Black-capped Chickad...
Chickadee
Chickadee
Black-capped Chickad...
Black Capped Chickad...
Black-capped Chickad...
Black-capped Chickad...
Black-capped Chickad...
Black-capped Chickad...
Courtship and Nesting
In February and March the focus shifts from surviving the winter to courtship and mating. Chattering loudly, they chase each other around and through the trees. The flock gradually breaks up into pairs. With the female in the lead, the pairs head out. Wherever the female goes, the male follows. The male will not tolerate any interlopers and aggressively defend his mate and the area around her. Once the nesting site is selected, usually a hole in the rotting wood of a dead stump, they work together to hollow it out and prepare the site. Once the site is prepared, the female builds the nest. The nest is built with soft fibers, plant down-anything soft.Although both the male and female Chickadee look similar, the female's voice takes on a raspy quality as she prepares to lay her eggs. At this point the male takes on most of the food gathering responsibilities. He feeds his mate often as she crouches, shivering her wings as if she was a newly hatched baby bird.
With the nest ready, the female lays one egg a day until there is five to ten eggs. Clutches of six to eight are the most common. The eggs are white with a coating of fine dark spots and are incubated exclusively by the female.
Voice
The Black-capped Chickadee is a songbird and will sing throughout the year, but nothing can rival their songs during nesting season. Most mornings the male will serenade his mate with an early morning chorus. It has been known to last for up to an hour.Listin to the song of the Black-capped Chickadee: Sound Byte: Black-capped Chickadee, National Park Service
Black-capped Chickadee
Common Birds and Their Songs
Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)
Amazon Price: $14.96 (as of 12/05/2008)
This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. It is a must have for anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder.
Feeding Habits
The chickadee spends most of its day feeding. It hops along branches poking at the bark. It will cling to trunks, clutch vertical limbs, and even hang upside down. It will do whatever it takes to examine every possible nook and cranny. Its next meal is just waiting to be discovered. 80 to 90 percent of the Chickadee's diet consists of weevils, lice, spiders and other insects during the breeding season, and about 50 percent during the winter.When the food is plentiful the Chickadee will horde enough food to put a squirrel to shame. They will hide the little tidbits only to pull them out and hide them somewhere else. This behavior is particularly prevalent in late summer and early fall. They have been known to cache hundreds of food items in a single day, and remember where they hid it for up to 28 days.
Many northern birds cache food. They may not remember where they stashed all of it, but it provides meals for whatever bird stumbles across it. The winters are long and cold, food is often scarce. A cache of food can make all the difference in the world.
During the breeding season and the summer that follows, the Chickadee's diet is prominently made up of insects. In the winter a feeding station that offers sunflower seeds and suit will catch their attention. Just remember that the birds will come to rely on the feeder. Don't start feeding them in the fall if you don't plan on continuing through the winter.
Feed the Birds!
Avant Garden 8501-3 Cottage Lantern Bird Feeder
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 12/05/2008)
I love watching the birds in my backyard, and nothing attracts the birds better than a birdfeeder. The Avant Garden Cottage Lantern Feeder is an excellent choice.
Recognizing Backyard Birds
Unique Characteristics
South Carolina Birder
South Carolina Birder offers information on wild birds as well as an insight into birding in South Carolina.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAudubon's Masterpieces
Audubon's masterpieces: 150 prints from the Birds of America
Amazon Price: (as of 12/05/2008)
John James Audubon spent a lifetime documenting the behavior of, and drawing the birds of North America. Audubon's Masterpieces is a collection of 150 of his best works.
Some of Lizzy's Favorite Backyard Birds
-
Northern Cardinals
-
The Northern Cardinal is one of the most popular birds in the United States. It is one of the first birds a child learns to recognize and most adults, birders and non-birders alike recognize it on sight. Its bright red coloring is distinctive.
-
Eastern Bluebird
-
There are three species of bluebirds with the Eastern Bluebird being the most common. This beautiful bird is making a comeback as more and more backyard birder are erecting bluebird boxes and evicting the squatters.
-
The Blue Jay
-
Blue Jays are beautiful birds and fun to watch, but they are birdfeeder bullies. They will chase smaller birds away until they've had their fill.
101 Ways to Help Birds
101 Ways to Help Birds
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 12/05/2008)
101 Ways to Help Birds offers 101 ways for individuals to help birds and bird populations as a whole, and it explains how these actions make a difference. Any bird lover knows that birds and animals alike need our help. Without it, we will lose more and we've lost enough as it is.
Seen any interesting birds lately?
JaguarJulie wrote...
Ah, we used to call one of my sisters 'chickadee' would you believe? Yep. Cute birds.
Posted October 12, 2008
dignan62 wrote...
Nice information and pictures. You sure know a lot about birds!
Posted May 28, 2008
CherylK wrote...
I love chickadees. A pair of them were investigating a birdhouse that we have in a tall cranberry bush outside our kitchen window a few weeks ago. "She" would hop in and out and "he" stood guard on a nearby branch. I was so excited. But haven't seen them lately so not sure what's going on with them. Am keeping watch. This is a wonderful lens. Five stars for sure!
Posted May 16, 2008
CarolSue wrote...
My favorite bird!! They are so friendly and cute. Tough little bird that stays all winter long in Michigan. I voted to make the chickadee the Michigan bird but never happened. Great Lens!
Posted March 23, 2008
Why Birds Do That
Why Birds Do That: 40 Distinctive Bird Behaviors Explained & Photographed
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 12/05/2008)
Birds are fascinating. Their behavior is complex, often comical. Some sing while others do not. Why Birds Do That explains forty distinctive bird behaviors and is enhanced with numerous photographs. It is a must have book for both the backyard bird watcher as well as the avid birder.
Resources used to build this page
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
Seattle Audubon Society
Black-capped Chickadee, Nature Works
Black-capped Chickadee, Chipper Woods Observatory
