Chickadees

November 2008 - Bird of the Month

Nature’s Backyard Charmer

Chickadees may be the most beloved birds that visit our backyards. Whether it is their compact size, dapper markings, distinctive call, spirited energy or their friendly behavior, there is something for everyone to love about this frequent feeder. Described as friendly, cheery, or a ray of sunshine, chickadees are the darlings of the backyard birdfeeding world.

Chickadees live just about everywhere. Of the seven species in North America, the Black-Capped Chickadee is the most widely distributed. Black-capped and Carolina chickadees are the two most common chickadees that feed at feeders. They look virtually identical so you need to know their range to identify them. Mountain chickadees are less common at feeders and often forage at the tops of trees for spiders and larvae. Chestnut-back Chickadees also forage high in trees and spend quite a bit of time upside down in search of food.

Chickadees got their name from their call, "chick-a-dee-dee-dee." Each species may have a variation of this call in addition to a repertoire of calls and songs used to communicate with each other. Next time you fill your feeder, listen for a chickadee to call out, "chebeche," in a scolding manner. This call is given by the dominant chickadee and may be directed at subordinate chickadees to communicate that it will be eating first and at the best spot. It’s all part of a hierarchy in which chickadees live as members of a flock.

Chickadees tend to feed one at a time because there is a hierarchy among the birds and the most dominant bird feeds first. Generally, chickadees take one seed from the feeder - sometimes choosing with care to get the heaviest seed - and they fly away to eat it and return for more. Their favorite food is oil sunflower seed, but they also eat striped sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet. Chickadees are very vocal as they call to announce their find of food or a warning.

Chickadees form flocks in late summer to help increase their chances of survival during winter. Flocks contain six to ten birds, composed of a pair that bred in the area, other breeding pairs from nearby and unrelated young birds. They defend a territory of about 25–40 acres. Your feeder will probably be in the territory of one flock and serve as an important food source when it gets cold. To help survive cold nights, chickadees can lower their normal 108ºF/42º C body temperatures 12-15ºF or -11 to -9ºC to conserve energy. By dawn, they will dart to your feeder to fill their empty bellies.

Because chickadees generally do not migrate great distances, they are good at finding food sources. Other birds such as nuthatches, kinglets and woodpeckers sometimes join them in foraging for food.

In spring, chickadees disperse into breeding pairs. Listen for their mating call, "spring-time-spring-time," followed by the arrival of more chickadees to capture our hearts.

Chickadees are bold birds and are easy to attract to feeders. To attract chickadees, try the WBU Seed Tube Feeder, the cling-a-wing or a WBU Peanut Feeder. The Certified Birdfeeding Specialists at Wild Birds Unlimited can help you choose the appropriate feeding setup for your backyard.