Chickadee, a small North American titmouse. The most common species is the black-capped chickadee. It is about five inches (13 cm) long. The top of the head and the throat are shining black. Other parts are gray or white. The bird ranges from the mountains of North Carolina in the winter to the northern Canadian forests in summer. It builds a tiny nest of moss and plants in a hole in a stump or tree. The chickadee lays six to eight white eggs, speckled at the larger end with cinnamon spots.
The black-capped chickadee is a titmouse with a shining black head and throat.Chickadees are songbirds that live in the forests of North America. This group of birds is named for the calls of two of its members: the black-capped chickadee and the Carolina chickadee. The calls of these birds sound like “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!”
Other chickadees have similar calls. For example, the boreal (BAWR ee uhl) chickadee cries out “Chick-a-day-day!”
Chickadees are quite acrobatic. They like to hang upside down on tree branches and bird feeders. They eat lots of insects, catching them quickly while hanging upside down by their feet. Chickadees also use their feet to hold seeds.
These birds grasp sunflower seeds between their toes and crack them open with their beaks.
The black-capped chickadee is Parus atricapillus of the family Paridae.
