Chickadee

Chickadee - (Parus Atricapillus)

The chickadee was one of the few birds that came to the single feeder we had at our previous home. The neighborhood was populated with pet cats (not ours) and wandering farm cats (not ours either) from a nearby barn.

Chickadee

A few brave chickadees even sat in a decorative wreath on our door and peered curiously in at the three sleeping cats (these are ours).

This year in our new bird-friendly yard they fly about freely, leading other small song birds to our feeders for the sunflower seeds. One will snatch just the right seed and fly to a nearby tree branch and use his tiny beak to hammer it open to expose the best part (over and over again). It's almost a full-time job filling the feeder with enough supply to meet the demand.

We haven't had a chickadee eat out of our hands yet, but one has landed on Food Guy's back when he bent over to tie his shoe.

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

Chickadee

More Info