Wonders of Wildlife: Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadee

Scientific Name: Poecile carolinensis

Found in Alabama: Year-round, statewide

Diet: Omnivore (eats plants and animals)

Carolina Chickadee
flickr – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters

Learn More About...

Classification

IDENTIFICATION

Adaptations

Life Cycle

Habitat Needs

Ecological Role

CLASSIFICATION

Scientists use basic traits to
group animals into different taxonomic
classes.

For a taxonomic classification chart comparing key traits of common backyard wildlife,
CLICK HERE!

What type of animal am I?

I am a vertebrate (an animal with a spine or backbone).
I am warm-blooded, so I can control my body temperature.
I have feathers on the outside of my body that keep me warm.
I breathe with lungs just like you.
I have 2 legs.
I have wings.

The Carolina Chickadee is a BIRD!

IDENTIFICATION TIPS

Size:

Range in length from 4-5 inches
Weigh around 0.3-0.4 ounces.
Wingspan is 5.9-7.9 inches

Key Characteristics:

Mostly gray above and lighter in color underneath
Black cap of feathers on head
Black patch of feathers on throat
Cheeks are white
Small black bill

Young:

Similar in appearance to the adults
Black cap is duller in appearance
Feathers are more loosely organized

Carolina Chickadee
Wikimedia – Dan Pancamo

PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

Carolina Chickadee Perched Vertically
Wikimedia – Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS

Carolina chickadees have strong feet:

Carolina chickadees are in the family of birds called Paridae.
These birds are known to have strong feet.
The Carolina chickadee can often be seen holding on to a branch with its body underneath its feet.
They often feed in these upside down positions as they search the underside of leaves for insect prey (animals they eat).
They also use their short, pointed bills to tear apart leaves in search of insects while perched.

Birds can fly:

Birds have feathers on their wings rather than hair like humans. Feathers are light, waterproof, and are adjustable for flight control.
Birds have lightweight beaks instead of heavy jaws and teeth like humans.
Most bones in their bodies are hollow or honeycombed, making them very lightweight. Some of their bones are fused for increased efficiency and lighter weight.
Birds have a larger and more efficient respiratory system than humans do since flight is a physically-demanding activity.

Birds can digest whole prey:

Birds do not have teeth and are not able to chew food. Because of this, they have a specialized part of their stomach, called a gizzard, that helps with digestion by grinding food.
The small stones, sand, and grit that birds pick up while they are eating are stored in the gizzard.
Once food is swallowed and makes its way to the gizzard, it is pulverized by the grit and stomach muscles.
Some birds like chickens, ducks, and turkeys have thick, muscular gizzards. Other birds that eat food items that are easy to digest, such as nectar and soft-bodied insects, have thin-walled gizzards.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

Carolina chickadees are diurnal:

They are active during the day (diurnal).

Carolina chickadees are somewhat social:

In the winter, Carolina chickadees can be seen traveling and feeding in small groups of 2-8 birds.
These flocks defend themselves against other flocks using different sounds.
Within each flock, there is usually a hierarchy or ranking of individuals. Males tend to have a higher rank than females, and larger males are more dominant to smaller males.
In the spring, the highest ranking individuals stay within the winter territory to breed while lower ranking individuals have to leave the territory to breed or do not breed.

Carolina chickadees protect their nest:

During the breeding season, male and females participate in a “mobbing behavior” towards any predator or threat to their nest.
If a threat comes too close to the nest, the Carolina chickadees make short, rapid flights towards the threat and make a series of calls.
The female is also likely to make a hissing vocalization called a “snake display” to deter predators and other threats.
During the winter, the small flock of chickadees participates in this behavior to protect the territory.

LIFE CYCLE

Life Cycle Stages of the Carolina Chickadee

Nest:

Nest in cavities within old, rotting wood.
Male and female both participate in cavity excavation.
They place loose plant materials like moss and bark at the base of the cavity.
They line the nest with soft materials like feathers or fur.

Eggs:

Females lay 3 – 10 hard-shelled eggs per brood.
They lay one egg each day.
Eggs are white with reddish brown dots or blotches.
Eggs are just over 1/2 inch in length.
They have 1 brood per year.

Young:

Babies hatch from the eggs after 12 – 15 days.
When they hatch, they have some soft down feathers on their head, wings and rump.
They remain in the nest for 16 – 19 days until they have grown in their juvenile feathers and can begin foraging on their own.

Life Span:

Can live up to 10 years

Carolina Chickadee Emerging from Nest
flickr – Chesapeake Bay Program

Carolina Chickadee Fledgling
flickr – cotinis

HABITAT NEEDS

Natural Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	In warmer months, they eat mainly insects including caterpillars, moths, true bugs, beetles, aphids, and spiders. In colder months, when insects are less active, they feed on fruits and seeds. They feed in trees and thickets, often hanging upside down to inspect the underside of leaves for insects.	Both parents provide regurgitated (spit up) food items for their young.
Water	They drink from natural sources of freshwater. In cold areas, they will eat snow as a source of hydration.	Hydration is obtained through food sources. They will drink from natural freshwater sources once they have fledged (left) from the nest.
Shelter	Live in deciduous forests, mixed forests, or pine forests. Prefer to live near woodland edges and clearings.	Build cavity nests in old, dead trees. Young remain in the nest for 14-18 days.
Places to Raise Young	Build nests in cavities within old, dead trees. They place loose plant fibers at the base of the nest and line the nest with moss and soft animal materials like feathers or fur.

If you want to offer resources in your backyard habitat for this species, consider the suggestions below.

Backyard Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	Plant native shrubs and trees where they can perch and feed. Use sunflower seeds, peanut chips, and suet in bird feeders, especially during the colder months	Provide food sources for the parents, as they feed the young.
Water	Provide a birdbath if a stream or pond is not located nearby.
Shelter	They tend to take refuge in natural cavities and crevices. Do not remove tree snags (old, dead trees).	Leave tree snags (dead or dying trees) with natural cavities. Put up a nest box or nest tube.
Places to Raise Young	Leave tree snags (dead or dying trees) that provide opportunities for cavity excavation. Put up a nest box or nest tube well before the breeding season begins.

ECOLOGICAL ROLE

Food Source:

Adult Carolina chickadees are eaten by sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper’s hawks.
Carolina chickadee eggs are often eaten by opossums, raccoons, red-bellied woodpeckers, and rat snakes.

Insect Population Control:

During the warmer months, Carolina chickadees feed on insects and can help control their populations.
They also consume some pests like caterpillars and katydid eggs that other birds avoid.

Seed Dispersal:

Carloina chickadees store food including nuts and seeds. Sometimes they do not return to their cache sites (storage sites), giving the seeds a chance to grow in their new locations.

Scientists use basic traits to
group animals into different taxonomic
classes.

For a taxonomic classification chart comparing key traits of common backyard wildlife,
CLICK HERE!

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