Black-capped Chickadee
Common Name: Black-capped Chickadee
Class: Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species:
Poecile atricapilla
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Photo: Ivan Andrijevic |
TAXONOMY
Black-capped Chickadees are
passeriformes in the family Paridae. This family consists of Tits and
Chickadees. The Black-capped Chickadee
is a small bird, no bigger than 6 inches, with a small black bill. It has a
pale whitish chest with buffy flanks. Like the other Chickadee’s of the
east, it has white cheeks and a black bib.

Photos: Ivan Andrijevic
HABITAT/DIET
The Black-capped
Chickadee can be
distinguished from all other Chickadees by range alone because they are the
only Chickadee found in Western New York.
The Black-capped
Chickadee lives year-round in the northern half of the United States and
much of Canada. The Black-capped Chickadee has developed incredible adaptations
to survive the cold winters in these areas which includes the ability save
energy by lowering their body, and hiding food with the
capability of finding it later. In the winter
months, half of the Black-capped Chickadee’s food is made up of insects,
spiders, and other animal material. The other half of their food at this
time is plant material, like seeds and berries that they have saved. During the summer, around
90% of their diet is made up of mostly caterpillars, but also
spiders, snails, slugs, and other insects. The rest is mostly wild berries,
like honeysuckle, blackberries, and blueberries.

Photo: M. Noonan
BEHAVIOR
The Black-capped Chickadee
is seldom territorial towards other species and will set up breeding
territories with a mate in spring. Mating pairs usually have
territories set 5
to 7 weeks before egg laying begins. In winter, Black-capped Chickadees
form flocks and a dominance hierarchy is developed within each flock. Males
usually rank above females, as older birds rank above younger. At times,
non-breeding flocks can include other species, especially other parids where
the range occurs. Pair bonds between Chickadees will usually last for years
before divorce or fatality breaks them. Each breeding season the female will lay 6-8 white eggs
and both sexes will participate in incubating them which lasts for 11-13
days. The chicks are born blind, immobile and helpless. Again, both sexes
will care for them for 16-18 days after hatching until the young are ready
to leave the nest.

Photo: M. Noonan