Talking to Birds

text and photo : Norma A. Hubbard  (April 2017)

Most people would laugh if they saw me feeding my birds – yes, I think of them as my birds even if they are wild – most mornings I am in my housecoat. In the winter, I put on boots and a coat over the housecoat and in the summer, it’s a housecoat with bare feet. I fill a jug with sunflower seeds and walk towards the feeders calling, “Come, my birds.” Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are often the first to arrive and I chat with them, saying, “Hello my little chickadee, dee, dee …”And I like to think they answer me back with their own “chickadee, dee, dee” greeting. Chickadees are one of my favourite birds and much to my delight, they stay here all year round.

I might think the chickadees are talking to me, however in reality, they may be responding to me as a warning to others. Chickadees’ calls are intricate and provide information, such as what is in the area, including predators. Other birds will heed the chickadee’s warning call; the greater the threat, the louder and more dee-notes will be added to the chickadee call. If we listen and look carefully, we too, can often see something new in our yards as the birds call out their warnings.

It is not surprising that many birders love these tiny, friendly birds. Chickadees are definitely inquisitive and they are the only bird to eat out of my hand here in the country, although they do take a seed and dash away quickly to eat in safety. They weigh so little, less than half an ounce (9-14g), so they feel very light when they land on my hand. Chickadees will spend hours flying back and forth from my feeders, eating and collecting seeds, but they eat insects and spiders too, especially in the warmer weather when there are plenty of bugs. Chickadees often hide seeds and can recall thousands of hiding places. They are not the flashiest bird around, yet they are distinctive with their namesake black caps. They are quite small, smaller than sparrows, measuring only about 4 to 6 inches (12-15 cm) in length with a wingspan of 6 to 8 inches (16-21 cm).

The forests of our area provide an ideal habitat for chickadees. Old woodpecker cavities often become nests or roosting holes, but chickadees will dig out their own spaces, too. It is always good to leave a few old trees for just this reason. Both the male and the female chickadees excavate the hole, but the female selects the location. The female also builds the nest in the cavity, and if she can find some, she lines the nest with rabbit fur. The pair will have one brood a season with a clutch of one to 13 eggs. The incubation period is 12 to 13 days and the young will stay in the nest for 12 to 16 days. The offspring will eventually find another flock, and even though chickadees will flock, each will sleep in its own roosting hole – even in very cold winters. The oldest chickadee on record was 12 years, 5 months old.

Chickadees are listed as least concern, which is a good thing as these charming little birds make me happy every day and I hate to think of a world without birds in it. As winter melts away, nights are still cold for birds. During very cold nights, a chickadee’s body temperature can drop about 10oc from its daytime temperature to conserve energy, so be sure to keep your feeders well-stocked with food, for all our northern birds … and if you listen carefully, you might just hear a chickadee say thank you.

References: Cornell Lab of Ornithology [online]; Hinterland Who’s Who [online]