Tweetings, fellow birders! Thanks for flying in to read this column!
It's of course time to get back to our feathered friends, and what better subject than our own state mascot? Yes, I realize I mentioned this little fellow before in a previous article, but it was brief, and more needs to be said. So, grab a handful of black oil sunflower seeds, some shelled peanuts, and let's head on back to the backyard feeder!
Massachusetts and Maine share the same state bird, which makes sense, as we used to be one state (until 1820). That is New England's famous Black-Capped Chickadee, which is arguably the cutest little songbird that has ever lived. A true and trusting friend as well, being the one fluttering visitor, which might actually eat out of your hand (seriously). A cozy character with that familiar and comforting two-note call, a high soft whistle followed by a lesser tone (DA-da!). The head of this tiny bird sports a black cap (of course) and bib, with white patches along the sides of the teeny face. Feet, back and tail gray, underbelly white with rusty brown on the flanks, wings rounded, beak dark and short. The chickadee is 5-6 inches in total length, weighing less than an ounce, with the males being a bit larger than the females. A nearly identical species, the Carolina Chickadee, can be distinguished by its mildly paler feathers, and is usually not found in the upper northern states. The Black-Capped also has white edges along its wing feathers, and their calls are slightly different, with the Carolina's vocalization being quicker and in a higher pitch. However, where territories overlap, they may mimic each other's songs, so try not to get confused out there in the woods! (Black-Capped? Carolina? Moose???!...).
Moving along, the diet of this singer is varied, heavy on seeds and berries in the winter but comprised mainly of insects during the summer (caterpillars too!). As mentioned, they enjoy black oil sunflower seeds from your feeder, which they may cache (hoard) for weeks at a time, even remembering their hiding location nearly a month later! (Better memory than me!). During colder months they flock together, doing so alongside other species such as titmice and nuthatches, and call out whenever a reliable feeding source is found (over here!), bettering their chances of survival by working as a cohesive unit. Chickadees are generally permanent residents, seen year-round, but sometimes move south to avoid harsh weather or search for food. During flight the little zig-zagger dips and rises, wings beating furiously, hopping along branches, even hanging upside down! (A Houdini bird??!!).
Now, if you'd really like to make them feel right at home, you might think about setting up some nesting boxes in your yard. Chickadees will consider moving in from April-May, provided the box is clean and safe from predators (I recommend an area with shade, at least 8-10 feet above the ground). The female will lay a clutch of 4-8 eggs, incubating them for around two weeks, being fed by the male the entire time (Room service!). After hatching the young are gently and lovingly cared for by both parents, but leave the nest within 7-10 days to catch food on their own. Chickadees generally only breed once a year, and can live a decade or more in the wild. However, with help from kind fellow birders like you, perhaps we can keep them around even longer (nothing to it but to SUET!)
With that, if you will, please allow me to end this little bird story with a little note: When I was a boy, before I started bird watching, I never knew chickadees even existed. So, you can imagine both my surprise and joy when I first saw one, right there in my own backyard, and all it took was a few sunflower seeds and a bit of patience. The innocent nature of this particular character registered with me and gave me a deeper sense of the world itself. Good things were all around, just waiting to be discovered, and the Black-Capped Chickadee opened the door to that higher place. I learned that by feeding birds, simply trying to help in some way, you actually gain so much more than you ever give. That's a lesson which can be applied to all aspects of life. Whether in the backyard or anywhere else...
And we finish not with a joke, but a poem:
Cap of black
Wing of gray
Not a word
will they say
But do sing
Flying free
Calling now
Chick-a-dee...
Now you know why I call them feathered friends.
Happy Birding!
Vincent Spada is a North Shore-based writer and lifelong avid birder.
