Discover the diverse array of Chickadee species that can be observed in Delaware through this comprehensive guide. It provides photo identification, detailed descriptions, captivating audio recordings of their melodic tunes, intriguing facts, and much more.
Chickadees, those industrious little songbirds ceaselessly flitting about in search of insects, readily flock to backyard feeders. Belonging to the Poecile family, there exist merely seven distinct Chickadee species, all of which inhabit the vast expanse of North America.
In Delaware, three Chickadee species can be spotted. The Carolina Chickadee, a year-round resident, graces the region with its presence, while both the Black-capped Chickadee and Boreal Chickadee are also occasionally observed.
Unlike migratory birds, Chickadees may descend to lower elevations during the winter months. To endure the cold, these resourceful creatures employ various survival strategies, such as storing food, taking refuge in cavities, and embracing regulated nocturnal hypothermia to conserve energy.
Due to their elevated body temperature and constant hunger, Chickadees possess an insatiable appetite, devouring an astonishing quantity of food equivalent to their own body weight on a daily basis!
Regrettably, Chickadees’ lifespan tends to be rather short, typically spanning only two to three years. Remarkably, rare instances of Chickadees surviving for twelve years have been recorded, though they remain the exception rather than the rule.
Distinguishing between male and female Chickadees can prove challenging since they exhibit similar physical characteristics. However, only male Chickadees engage in the resounding melodic performance known as the ‘Fee Bee’ song.
A striking resemblance can be found between the Black-capped Chickadee and the Carolina Chickadee, with the former distinguished by a greater presence of white on its wings and a distinct 2-note song, in contrast to the Carolina’s 4-note song.
Chickadees maintain a diet consisting of insects and seeds, frequently frequenting backyard feeders in search of nourishing seeds or suet. For a comprehensive identification chart featuring other avian visitors to Delaware’s backyards, simply explore further.
This comprehensive guide aims to assist you in identifying the various Chickadee species sighted in Delaware, relying on data obtained from dedicated birdwatchers on ebird and augmented with information sourced from avibase, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
Delaware’s Chickadee Varieties:
1. Carolina Chickadee
The Carolina Chickadee, a year-round resident of Delaware, opts against migration. According to records submitted by diligent birdwatchers, this species appears in 30% of summer checklists and 34% of winter checklists.
Carolina Chickadees exhibit diminutive physiques with prominent heads, adorned by black caps and throats, complemented by white cheeks and bellies. Their backs, wings, and tails sport soft gray hues.
While sharing remarkable similarities with the Black-capped Chickadee, the Carolina Chickadee occasionally interbreeds with its counterpart, albeit within a limited geographic range. Notably, the Black-capped Chickadee boasts more expansive white wing coverage in comparison.
Poecile carolinensis
Length: 3.9-4.7 in (10-12 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (8-12 g)
Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 in (15-20 cm)
The Carolina Chickadee can be observed year-round in the eastern and southeastern United States.
Forested areas, parks, and even backyard havens serve as habitats for the Carolina Chickadee. During the summer months, insects and spiders constitute their primary diet,
while plant matter comprises roughly half of their winter sustenance.
Carolina Chickadee Song:
Credit: Brian Hendrix, XC572217. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/572217.
Carolina Chickadees typically construct their nests in self-made cavities, those previously fashioned by other species, or natural hollows. Nest interiors are meticulously lined with moss and later supplemented with softer materials such as hair. The incubation period lasts approximately two weeks, with fledglings departing the nest after an additional two to three weeks.
To entice Carolina Chickadees to your backyard feeders, offer them black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, or peanuts. These resourceful birds will gladly visit various feeder types, including tube feeders, suet cages, or platform feeders. Additionally, they may choose to nest in specially designed boxes or tubes.
2. Black-capped Chickadee
While not commonly sighted in Delaware, the Black-capped Chickadee occasionally graces the state during the winter season, spanning from October to April.
Black-capped Chickadees possess endearing round heads and dainty bodies, exuding charm as they gleefully indulge in backyard feeder fare and curiously investigate their surroundings, including human observers!
Adorned with black caps, beaks, and throats, accompanied by white cheeks, these birds showcase gray plumage on their backs, wings, and tails. Their bellies sport lighter shades. Their resemblance to Carolina Chickadees is quite striking.
Poecile atricapillus
Length: 4.7-5.9 in (12-15 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.5 oz (9-14 g)
Wingspan: 6.3-8.3 in (16-21 cm)
Black-capped Chickadees do not partake in migrations and can be found across the northern half of the United States and Canada.
Forests, open woodlands, and parks serve as favored haunts for Black-capped Chickadees. Their diet consists of seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and suet.
Black-capped Chickadee Call/Song:
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
Black-capped Chickadees predominantly nest in abandoned woodpecker nests, although they may also excavate their own cavities within decaying branches. Both males and females contribute to nest construction, with the female lining it using moss and other soft materials, such as fur.
Clutches may consist of as many as thirteen eggs, requiring slightly over two weeks of incubation before the young leave the nest after an additional two weeks.
To entice Black-capped Chickadees to your backyard, offer them suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, or peanut butter. They may even become comfortable enough to feed directly from your hand, often being among the first to discover new feeders. Nest boxes, particularly those lined with wood shavings, also serve as attractive nesting options.
Fascinating Fact: Black-capped Chickadees possess remarkably adaptable brains that shed obsolete information by eliminating old neurons each year, replacing them with new neurons and updated knowledge.
3. Boreal Chickadee
Boreal Chickadees, a remarkably rare find in Delaware, are considered accidental visitors who have not been spotted in the region for quite sometime.
Sporting grayish-brown feathers, Boreal Chickadees exhibit a dark brown cap, small black bib, cinnamon-hued flanks, and white underparts and cheeks.
Poecile hudsonicus
Length: 4.9-5.5 in (12.5-14 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (7-12.4 g)
Boreal Chickadees primarily reside in Canada and Alaska, occasionally venturing into northern regions of the United States.
Coniferous forests serve as primary habitats for Boreal Chickadees, often near water sources, although they can also be found in deciduous or mixed forests. Their diet predominantly consists of seeds and insects gleaned from the upper reaches of the forest canopy. They readily visit feeders.
Credit: Ken Hall, XC511286. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/511286.
Boreal Chickadees typically establish nests within deceased trees, with females creating the cavities. Moss and bark line the cavity, subsequently supplemented by softer materials like hair and feathers. After slightly over two weeks of incubation, a brood of up to nine eggs hatches, requiring additional time before the fledglings embark on their first flights.
To attract Boreal Chickadees to your backyard, provide them with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, peanuts, and mealworms through various feeder types. Consider installing a nest box to entice a mating pair.
Engaging Fact: Boreal Chickadees diligently store seeds and insects as provisions for the long, harsh winter months.
Inviting Chickadees to Your Backyard
Observing Chickadees as they dart about, tirelessly seeking sustenance, is an absolute delight. If you desire to witness more of these adorable avian companions, it’s essential to create an enticing environment within your yard.
- Supply feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, or peanuts.
- Chickadees readily feed from a variety of feeders, including tube feeders, suet cages, or platform feeders.
- Provide a water source, such as a birdbath, preferably with running water.
- Plant trees and shrubs that produce berries, attracting insects and serving as an additional food source.
- Avoid using pesticides or herbicides, as Chickadees rely on insects as part of their diet.
- Offer shelter through the planting of trees and shrubs.
- Provide nesting boxes with 1 1/8-inch entrance holes, mounted 5-15 feet above the ground.
- Keep pet cats indoors to ensure the safety of visiting birds.
- Exercise patience, as it may take some time for birds to discover your yard and feeders.
Chickadee Songs and Calls
Chickadees are renowned for their distinctive “chick a dee” call, which, in reality, serves as a mild alarm or contact call. Their melodic song, however, manifests as a pleasant “fee bee” sound.
Chickadee Sounds:
1. Fee-bee
Produced exclusively by male individuals.
The first note exhibits a higher pitch than the second.
Males distance themselves from other males while singing.
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
2. Faint Fee-bee
Produced by both male and female Chickadees.
Females employ this call to summon males for feeding while incubating eggs.
Used for communication between parents and their offspring.
3. Chick-a-dee call
Mild alarm call.
Contact calls within flocks.
Coordinates movement within flocks.
Credit: GABRIEL LEITE, XC420822. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/420822.
4. Gargle
Comprises a series of two to nine short notes.
Serves as a warning call when birds come too close to one another or feeders.
Precedes potential attacks as a means to establish distance.
Credit: Todd Wilson, XC42956. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/42956.
5. Begging Call
Juvenile Chickadees emit bee-like calls to elicit feeding responses from their parents.
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC36609. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/36609.
6. High Seet Call
Alarm call triggered by the presence of predators.
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC35305. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/35305.
Frequency of Chickadee Sightings in Delaware During Summer and Winter
Checklists prove invaluable for identifying the most commonly observed bird species in your state. These records indicate the prevalence of various Chickadee species on ebird checklists during Delaware’s summer and winter seasons.
Chickadees in Delaware during Summer:
Carolina Chickadee: 30.9%
Chickadees in Delaware during Winter:
Carolina Chickadee: 34.9%
Black-capped Chickadee: 0.4%