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Chickadees
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Small, short-billed bird.
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Black cap.
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Black bib.
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White cheeks.
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Size: 12-15 cm (5-6 in)
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Wing span: 16-21 cm (6-8 in)
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Sexes look alike.
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Habitat: Deciduous and mixed deciduous/coniferous woodlands,
open woods and parks, willow thickets, and cottonwood
groves. Also in old fields and suburban areas. Most
numerous at forest edges.
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Food: Insects, especially small caterpillars. Also spiders,
snails, slugs, centipedes, and some berries. Seeds in
winter.
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The Black-Capped Chickadee hides seeds and other food items for later
recovery. Each item is placed in a different spot and a bird can remember
thousands of hiding places. The chickadee's simple-sounding calls
have been found to be extremely complex and language-like. They code
information on identity and recognition of other flocks as well as
predator alarms and contact calls. Breeding pairs and nonbreeders
join up into flocks outside of the breeding season. Nonbreeders may
be members of several flocks, with a different position in the dominance
hierarchy of each flock.Black-capped Chickadees have benefited from
human-provided food and nest boxes, as well as increased forest edges
caused by deforestation. However, overzealous forest management can
reduce or eliminate natural nest sites. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
March
3, 2006