Discover the diverse array of Chickadee species inhabiting Iowa through this comprehensive guide, which features photo IDs and descriptions, captivating audio recordings of their melodic songs, intriguing facts, and more.
Chickadees, those industrious little avian songsters, flit about in search of insects and readily flock to backyard feeders. They belong to the Poecile family, and the North American continent is home to only seven distinct Chickadee species.
In the state of Iowa, two Chickadee species can be observed. The first is the Black-capped Chickadee, a commonly sighted variety. The second is the Boreal Chickadee, a rarity in this region.
While Chickadees do not undertake extensive migrations, they may venture to lower altitudes during the winter season. To endure the frigid months, research has demonstrated that Chickadees engage in food caching, seek refuge in cavities, and employ regulated nocturnal hypothermia to conserve energy.
Due to their elevated body temperature and insatiable hunger, Chickadees possess an extraordinary appetite, consuming food equivalent to their own body weight each day!
The lifespan of Chickadees is relatively short, typically spanning only two or three years. As adults, they may survive for a solitary year and experience just a single breeding season. However, notable records indicate Chickadees living for an astonishing twelve years.
Distinguishing male and female Chickadees can be challenging since they share identical appearances, except for the fact that only the males emit the resonant ‘Fee Bee’ song.
Chickadees subsist on a diet of insects and seeds, often visiting backyard feeders in search of nourishing seeds or suet. Delve into the world of other avian visitors to Iowa’s backyards and procure a complimentary identification chart.
This guide serves as a valuable aid in identifying the Chickadee species found in Iowa, drawing from avibase and data contributed by vigilant bird watchers on ebird, thereby providing authentic information regarding the timing of these avian encounters.
The Chickadee Census of Iowa:
1. Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadees maintain a year-round presence in Iowa. According to checklists submitted by bird enthusiasts, they have been recorded in 36% of summer observations and 46% of winter observations.
Black-capped Chickadees possess endearing features, sporting round heads and petite bodies. These delightful birds joyfully partake in backyard feedings and display a curiosity that extends even to humans!
Their distinctive features include black caps, beaks, and throats, accompanied by white cheeks. Their backs, wings, and tails exhibit a gray hue, while their bellies bear a lighter shade. Black-capped Chickadees bear a striking resemblance to Carolina Chickadees.
Scientific Name: Poecile atricapillus
Length: 4.7-5.9 inches (12-15 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.5 ounces (9-14 g)
Wingspan: 6.3-8.3 inches (16-21 cm)
Black-capped Chickadees do not embark on migratory journeys and can be spotted in the northern regions of the United States and Canada.
These delightful birds frequent forests, open woodlands, and parks. Their diet includes seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and suet.
Black-capped Chickadee’s Call/Song:
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
Nests crafted by Black-capped Chickadees are typically located within old woodpecker nests, although they may create their own cavities in decaying branches. Both males and females contribute to nest construction, with the female lining it with moss and later incorporating softer materials such as fur.
They lay relatively large clutches, sometimes containing up to thirteen eggs, which require around two weeks to hatch. After hatching, the young remain in the nest for an additional two weeks before venturing out into the world.
Attract Black-capped Chickadees to your backyard by offering suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, or peanut butter. These friendly birds may even feed directly from your hand, often being among the first to discover new feeders. Additionally, providing nest boxes filled with wood shavings can entice them.
Fascinating Fact: Black-capped Chickadees possess remarkable brains that shed old neurons annually, discarding unnecessary information and replacing it with new neurons and knowledge.
2. Boreal Chickadee
Boreal Chickadees represent an exceptionally rare occurrence in Iowa, being regarded as accidental visitors who have not been spotted here for several years.
These diminutive songbirds exhibit grayish-brown plumage, adorned with a dark brown cap, a small black bib, cinnamon-colored sides, and white undersides and cheeks.
Scientific Name: Poecile hudsonicus
Length: 4.9-5.5 inches (12.5-14 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 ounces (7-12.4 g)
Boreal Chickadees primarily reside in Canada and Alaska, occasionally appearing in the northern states of the United States.
Boreal Chickadees primarily inhabit coniferous forests, often near bodies of water, although they can also be found in deciduous or mixed forests. They feed on seeds and insects found in the upper reaches of the canopy and readily visit feeders.
Credit: Ken Hall, XC511286. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/511286.
Boreal Chickadees construct their nests predominantly within deceased trees, with the female responsible for creating the nesting hole. The cavity is then lined with moss and bark, subsequently complemented by softer materials such as hair and feathers. The incubation period lasts slightly over two weeks, resulting in the hatching of up to nine eggs.
To attract Boreal Chickadees to your backyard, offer black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, peanuts, and mealworms through a variety of feeder types. Installing a nesting box may also entice a breeding pair.
Engaging Fact: Boreal Chickadees meticulously store seeds and insects, ensuring a reliable food supply during the long and arduous winter months.
Inviting Chickadees into Your Backyard
The frenzied activities of Chickadees as they scurry about in search of sustenance make for delightful observation. If you desire to witness more of these charming avian creatures, it’s time to attract them to your yard.
1. Supply feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, or peanuts.
2. Various feeder types, including tube feeders, suet cages, or platform feeders, are suitable for Chickadees.
3. Provide a water source, such as a birdbath with gently flowing water.
4. Plant trees and shrubs that bear berries, attracting insects that serve as a food source for Chickadees.
5. Refrain from using pesticides or herbicides, as Chickadees rely on insects as part of their diet.
6. Create shelter by planting trees and shrubs that offer protective cover.
7. Install a nest box with a small entrance hole measuring 1 1/8 inches, positioned 5 to 15 feet above the ground.
8. Keep domestic cats indoors to prevent harm to the birds.
9. Exercise patience, as it may take some time for birds to discover your yard and feeders.
Chickadee Melodies and Calls
Chickadees have gained notoriety for their distinctive “chick a dee” call, although this vocalization actually serves as a mild alarm or contact call. Their true song resonates as a cheerful “fee bee.”
Chickadee Vocalizations
1. Fee-bee
Produced exclusively by males
The initial note possesses a higher pitch compared to the second
Males distance themselves from one another when engaging in song
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
2. Faint Fee-bee
Produced by both males and females
Females utilize this call to beckon the male when she is incubating eggs
Shared between parents and their offspring
3. Chick-a-dee call
Serves as a mild alarm call
Used for contact communication within flocks
Coordinates movements among flock members
Credit: GABRIEL LEITE, XC420822. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/420822.
4. Gargle
Comprises a sequence of two to nine short notes
Emerged when individuals come into close proximity within a flock or around feeders
Serves as a warning before engaging in an aggressive act to prompt distancing
Credit: Todd Wilson, XC42956. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/42956.
5. Begging Call
Young Chickadees emit bee-like calls to elicit parental feeding
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC36609. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/36609.
6. High Seet Call
Alarm call employed in the presence of predators
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC35305. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/35305.