|
Size: |
Length: 5-6 in |
Weight: .4 oz |
Wingspan: 8 in |
|
ID:
|
Male: Small gray
bird with a black cap and bib patch
ending with a straight edge then white
chest and tan belly; the gray wings are
tipped in white; cheek white; very small
bill
Female and Juvenile: same as male |
| Habitat: |
Open deciduous
forests, farms and suburban areas |
| Diet: |
Insects, seeds and
fruit; feeders for peanut butter and
cornmeal mix, seeds (especially
sunflower) and suet; large seeds are
held between feet on a perch and then
pounded with beak to open the seed coat;
will hide hundreds of seeds daily under
leaves or conifer needles or tree bark
openings (capable of retrieving and
eating all cached foods-insects, seeds
and suet); must replace calories each
short winter day that were lost in
energy used to stay warm each freezing
night |
| Family Behavior: |
Mating
Habits: Monogamous; very early nester; 1
brood per year
Local Breeding Period: Mid May
Nests: Excavates cavity in standing
rotted wood through a knot hole or uses
abandoned woodpecker hole (site 1-10 ft
above ground); will accept birdhouse;
nest built by male and female,
consisting of green moss and vegetable
matter and lined with feathers, hair and
animal fur
Eggs: 5-8 white eggs with spots and dots
of reddish brown mostly on the larger
end; incubated 10-13 days by female
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
13-17 days; both parents feed |
| Social Activities: |
Usually first to a
feeder leading a mixed flock of small
birds (titmouse, nuthatch, downy
woodpeckers); very tame- can be trained
to be hand fed;
flocks will huddle together in tree
shelters in winter to stay warm-
fluffing feathers also provides
excellent insulation |
| Range: |
Breeding: Northern
United States south of the tundra in
Canada
Winter: Non-migrator |
|
Vocalization: |
Whistles chick-a-dee-dee-dee
and a two toned fee-bee (close up, it
sounds more like hey-sweetie) |
| Lifespan: |
Up to 12 years |
