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Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

The Black-capped Chickadee is one of North America's most common and widely distributed birds. It can be found from coast to coast, covering a significant portion of Canada and the northern two-thirds of the United States. These birds don't typically migrate; they stay in their range throughout the year. The vocal behavior of Black-capped Chickadees is complex, which would be expected of a social animal. Adults have at least 16 different kinds of vocalizations. 

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Black-capped chickadee "feebee" song dual
02:58

Black-capped chickadee "feebee" song dual

The local Greater Yellowstone chickadees are ramping up their songs. Here's a "dual" between two black-capped chickadees (actually, a third was joining in) and then a comparison to the song of our local Mountain chickadee. The black-capped will dual in a way where one sings at a higher pitch than the other...and if the other wants to really challenge he'll match the pitch. Females also sing, but there isn't much research how they might participate during mating season. The mountain chickadee has variant that you can hear and see in the spectrograms. Is it a dialect, or a different language? Humans, as you know, have many distinct languages (6,000+). At what point does a dialect become a different language...when you can't understand the meaning. The same principle could apply to birds...perhaps. Lots of questions... We also threw in some songs of other similar species of birds in the same family paridae. Are they really different species? Are neanderthals really that different from homo sapiens. Are you a lumper or a splitter?
Mating
Aggression
Broken Dee Call Explained | Black-capped Chickadee Calls and Sounds
01:10

Broken Dee Call Explained | Black-capped Chickadee Calls and Sounds

Want just their calls and sounds click here 👉https://youtu.be/s0jK35lFZvA Black-capped Chickadee Overview video 👉https://youtu.be/cQREGxAivFU 🟢Broken dee Call The broken dee can only be heard during the breeding season. It sounds similar to a baby chickadee, however, it is much different and if you hear it then you know you have yourself a female since it is only females who make it. They begin using it once the nest cavity has been completed and through early incubation. If the male is nearby, the calls are often accompanied by Wing Quivering and usually elicit feeding by the male. Ways to Support LesleytheBirdNerd: Lesley the Bird Nerd Merchandise https://www.lesleythebirdnerd.com Donate via Paypal https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=E5GM54J7C28LC 🟢Also, find LesleytheBirdNerd here: Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/LesleytheBirdNerd/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesleythebirdnerd/ Common Questions people may have: What does a Black-capped Chickadee sound like? What are the calls and sounds of a Black-capped Chickadee? What does the Black-capped Broken dee song sound like? What is the Broken dee dee song? If you have a sick or injured bird in your possession I can not help this bird in any way it is strongly advised to contact a local vet or wildlife official before any decisions are made. It is very easy to do more harm than good when handling any wildlife. For business inquiries or Post Office Box information please contact Jamie at lesleythebirdnerd@gmail.com ============================================== #LesleytheBirdNerd #Birds #Birdwatching #chickadee #birdphotography #birdcall
Feeding
Chickadee Nest Day 1 - June 8th 2022
01:29

Chickadee Nest Day 1 - June 8th 2022

This first video and the subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity. This is the first day of recordings when the first egg was laid, and showcases various activity from around the nest. Each subsequent video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Chickadee Nest Day 5 - June 12th 2022
04:33

Chickadee Nest Day 5 - June 12th 2022

This and subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity in June and July 2022 near Emigrant, MT. Each video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Chickadee Nest Day 6 - June 13th 2022
04:09

Chickadee Nest Day 6 - June 13th 2022

This and subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity in June and July 2022 near Emigrant, MT. Each video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Chickadee Nest Day 7 - June 14th 2022
24:08

Chickadee Nest Day 7 - June 14th 2022

This and subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity in June and July 2022 near Emigrant, MT. Each video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Chickadee Nest Day 8 - June 15th 2022
16:00

Chickadee Nest Day 8 - June 15th 2022

This and subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity in June and July 2022 near Emigrant, MT. Each video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Chickadee Nest Day 9 - June 16th 2022
15:19

Chickadee Nest Day 9 - June 16th 2022

This and subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity in June and July 2022 near Emigrant, MT. Each video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her left leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Chickadee Nest Day 10 - June 17th 2022
13:41

Chickadee Nest Day 10 - June 17th 2022

This and subsequent separate videos together represent 35 days of activity at a wild chickadee nest cavity in June and July 2022 near Emigrant, MT. Each video is comprised of a series of motion-triggered short videos from one day of events. You'll see things like the female cleaning out the nest (e.g. shells, fecal sacs), the male singing upon arrival and then feeding either the female or chicks, various vocalizations like the "pitter" (when one bird reacts to the arrival of another at the nest), a "broken dee" when the female seeks to get the male to provide food, and "begging" calls from the chicks. You'll also see a fledgling take it's first flight. The female has a green band on her left leg so you can track her versus the male. Learn more at www.birdsofyellowstone.com
Parenting
Rare Calls