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Chickadees
Black and
White Cotton Balls.jpg)
" Why, pardon me...my little chickadee "
-W.C. Fields
Remember this old one-liner that W.C. Fields used
in his classic movies of the 1930s in an attempt to woo his lady
friends ? The cute chickadee has always been associated with beauty
and are probably the most universally liked birds of all out
feathered friends. Their cheerful "chicka-dee-dee" call and friendly
disposition can melt the heart of even the most die-hard grouch. Few
can resist watching the antics of these energetic little birds as
they hop, jump and flit through the woods or backyard feeder in
their eternal search for food.
Chickadees are one of our smallest birds, with a
fully grown adult tipping the scales at a mere third of an ounce or
about the weight of three pennies. They are so tiny that you could
mail three chickadees for the price of single postage stamp- if you
could figure out how to get them in an envelope that is.
Chickadees are common throughout Wisconsin,
especially in forested areas where they can find nesting holes in
trees to raise their young. Chickadees are rarely seen alone since
they prefer to flock together for safety and feeding. When not at
your feeder gorging themselves on sunflower seeds and suet,
chickadees roam the woodlands in search of insects, seeds, spiders,
pupae and other snacks. If you listen carefully, you can hear
members of the flock keep in touch with each other with a regular,
soft " tseet " locator call. If they get separated from the flock or
want to attract another chickadee, they use the loud familiar "
fee-bee " call. You can easily imitate this call by whistling
through your teeth and get them to answer. Chickadees seem almost
fearless of people and are easily taught to feed out of your hand if
you’re patient. A few years ago, I even had a chickadee perch on the
shaft of my arrow and another land on my hat while sitting in my
tree stand.
Unlike most other birds their size, most
chickadees don’t migrate although a some will move farther south
from their northern range if it’s a cold winter. The ability of the
tiny chickadee to survive the subzero temperatures and cold, biting
winds of winter seems impossible, but their secret to survival is
the same thing that makes them so cute- lots of fluffy down and
feathers to keep them warm. Like us, chickadees shiver when they get
cold to keep their bodies warm. In fact, their chest muscles start
quivering as soon as the temperature drops below 65 degrees outside.
In addition, chickadees spent almost all their daylight hours
searching for food to fuel their high speed metabolism. With a
heartbeat of 650 times per minute and normal body temperature of 109
degrees Fahrenheit, this is quite a feat. At night, chickadees flock
together and roost in sheltered areas like conifer branches or
inside hollows of trees. They’re also able to lower their body
temperatures during the coldest periods of the night to conserve
energy.
Thanks to the chickadees’ visits to our backyard
bird feeders, Wisconsin winters don't seem so bleak after all.
Nothing cheers up the dead of winter more than these black and white
cotton balls that seem to bring the joy of life where ever they
roam.
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