Dave Taylor is a well known photographer and naturalist from Mississauga, Ontario
water’s edge By Dave Taylor
Black-Capped Chickadee The black-capped chickadee is one of the most commonly seen birds in Canada and is absent only from the tundra region of the country. It is one of only a few birds whose name and song are the same. Its “Chick-a-dee” call is familiar to most Canadians. Chickadees pair up in the fall but remain with their flocks until late winter when the mated couples build a nest and defend a territory. They are “hole” nesters and typically use old woodpecker holes to lay their eggs. The nesting cavity will be lined with moss, animal hair and other soft material from the surrounding area. Six to eight eggs are laid and are incubated by the female. Less than two-weeks later the eggs hatch and the young birds are out of the nest less than a month after the eggs were laid. In summer, chickadees feed on animal life
20 Real Fishing – Summer 2011
such as caterpillars, spiders, insect eggs, lice and even carrion. In winter, their diet changes to an herbivorous one of conifer seeds, berries, acorns and other wild seeds. It is in winter when they perhaps become most familiar with us. They feed readily at bird feeders and are amongst the first to return to a feeder after something disturbs the birds using it. Chickadees, because of their small body size, use up more energy than do larger birds like jays and cardinals. When roosting they shiver so much that they may use up all
of their body fat to produce enough heat to keep them warm. To survive, Chickadees need to eat constantly. On really cold nights they can go into a torpor state that allows them to lower their body temperature by up to 12°C. They will follow hikers and anglers in the hopes of getting a handout of peanuts or sunflower seeds; however, taking food from human hands is not their main strategy for survival. In October and November they harvest more food than they can eat and cache it throughout their territory. Studies suggest that they are able to remember where most of their food is hidden. No small feat for a bird-brain! Flocks of chickadees are very loyal to their neck of the woods and will defend their territories against other chickadee flocks. However, by March the flocks break up and on average only one couple per flock survive to breed. The park where I work in Mississauga has several such winter flocks. I often wonder if the anglers passing along the trails beside the Credit River realize that the chickadees they see following them occupy distinct territories along the river. ?