Chickadees

Adorable, black and white chickadees are commonly seen in most backyards, and when these happy birds are seen it is usually in pairs or small groups of up to about a dozen birds. There are five species of Chickadee in North America; including the Carolina Chickadee found in the southeast, the black capped chickadee which makes its home to the north, the Chestnut-backed chickadee in the Pacific Northwest, the Mountain Chickadee found in the west and last but not least is the Mexican chickadee found in the mountains of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and the west and central mountainous regions of Mexico.

A member of the Titmouse family, chickadees are largely insect eaters and are welcome visitor to our backyards. In spring and summer you may see Chickadees hopping around or clinging to twigs, branches, and foliage, hanging upside down searching for insect eggs and larvae. They are fond of spud worms and canker worms; they have a penchant for caterpillars. Seeds and berries also are favorites of the Chickadee diet. In the winter we will see them at home in our birdfeeders and birdhouses. Place a suet feeder to attract chickadees, or use black oil sunflower seeds in your feeder. Chickadees will eat one at a time, with the predominate bird feeding first. Also, chickadees will store food in underground caches or under twigs for winter.

In small groups, sometimes joined by other similar species, these tiny birds will roost and forage together from August to February, or until spring, searching yards and gardens for sustenance. Finding food in the winter is often tough and hunting in groups increases their chances for success. Providing birdhouses and birdfeeders is a wonderful way to help Chickadees, as well as other bird species to survive when natural food supplies are scarce during harsh winters.

During the winter, especially in northern regions, chickadees in the wild, as well as other wild birds, will puff up their feathers to keep warm. The round little fluff balls are trapping air around their down feathers which acts as insulation to conserve heat. Another mechanism they use is constricting the blood vessels in their skin to maintain their body heat of about 110 degrees. As a last resort shivering can generate additional heat, but this is only a temporary measure as it requires metabolism of food reserves. As a last resort chickadees, when food supplies are low and temperatures are severe, will enter a temporary state of torpor to depress bodily functions, including breathing and metabolism. In Torpor body temperature will drop about ten degrees and the need for food decreases significantly, as well.

Excellent candidates for manmade birdhouses, chickadees will seek out a birdhouse when all of the components are correct. When placing chickadee birdhouses you should place them 4 to 15 feet high. Placing wood chips in the house helps to attract chickadees. The size of the house should be 4” X 4” to 5” X 5” and the hole size and placement are also important to attracting chickadees to birdhouses. A hole size of 1¼” to 1½” is appropriate.

Once a birdhouse has been selected, female chickadees will preen and line the nest with soft moss before she lays her batch of around 6 eggs. The white speckled eggs will incubate in 12 days, and the mother will be the one to incubate them. Papa feeds her during the incubation period, after which, the female will leave the nests for brief stints, either to call the male for food, or to occasionally, search nearby for her own meals.  If predators become a problem Chickadees will abandon the nest and seek another one.
When nesting is over and the young are on the wing, chickadees will form small flocks of 8 or a dozen birds. Flying in groups is an important predator defense. More eyes can look for and warn the group of approaching danger. Largely due to predation, Chickadees have a life span of 1 ½ to 2 years, however they have been known to live as long as eleven years.

A small, common songbird, the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus), is a member of the titmouse family. This chickadee has a black cap and bib with white sides to the face. It’s under parts are white with rusty brown on the flanks and its back is gray. It has a short dark bill, short wings and a long tail. The tail is normally, primarily slate-gray. Males are larger then females.

The Black-capped Chickadee is the state bird for Maine and Massachusetts as well as the provincial bird of New Brunswick, Canada; however, they can be found in many other states and around northern regions. The Black-capped and Carolina chickadees are extremely similar visually, but distinguishable by subtle differences. They were formerly thought to be easily distinguished by call, but the two species often learn each others vocalizations where their ranges overlap. Whatever the species of chickadee, they will guarantee you hours of beautiful songs and their antics will provide you with hours of viewing pleasure.