Chickadees - Facts for Kids

Basic Information

Chickadees are small songbirds that belong to the family Paridae, which includes tits and titmice!

The Black-capped Chickadee is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts!

A group of chickadees is called a “banditry,” named after their black-capped appearance that makes them look like tiny masked bandits!

Black-capped Chickadees can survive in temperatures as cold as -40°F (-40°C) by lowering their body temperature at night to conserve energy!

The average lifespan of a wild chickadee is 2–3 years, but some have lived up to 12 years in the wild!

There are seven different species of chickadees found in North America!

The name “chickadee” comes from their distinctive “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call!

Both male and female chickadees look exactly the same, making it impossible to tell them apart by appearance alone!

Baby chickadees are called chicks, and a family group typically includes 6–8 chicks!

Chickadees are year-round residents, meaning they don’t migrate south for the winter like many other birds!

Physical Characteristics

Black-capped Chickadees are tiny birds that weigh about the same as four U.S. pennies (0.3-0.5 ounces or 9-14 grams)!

A chickadee’s body is only about 4.7-5.9 inches (12–15 centimeters) long, which is shorter than a new pencil!

Chickadees have special feathers that puff up in cold weather, making them look like fluffy balls and helping them stay warm!

A chickadee’s black cap extends just below its eyes and looks like a tiny mask!

Chickadees have strong feet with sharp claws that allow them to hang upside down while feeding!

The white edges on a chickadee’s wing feathers help them blend in with snow during winter!

A chickadee’s beak is short and sturdy, perfect for cracking open seeds and catching insects!

Chickadees have excellent eyesight and can spot a predator from over 60 feet (18 meters) away!

The gray feathers on a chickadee’s back are specially designed to trap warm air close to their body!

A chickadee’s tail is about the length of its body and helps it balance while hopping between branches!

Behavior & Intelligence

Chickadees can remember thousands of different locations where they’ve hidden food for up to 28 days!

When a chickadee spots danger, it adds more “dee” sounds to its call – the more “dees,” the bigger the threat!

Chickadees are one of the few birds that form mixed-species flocks, often leading other small birds during winter foraging!

Chickadees can learn to recognize human faces and will remember which people have fed them before!

Chickadees have a complex social hierarchy, with dominant birds getting first access to food and the best nesting sites!

During winter, chickadees sleep alone in cozy tree holes or bushes.

A chickadee’s brain grows larger in autumn to help it remember where it stored food for winter!

Chickadees can learn the calls of other bird species and understand what they mean!

Chickadees spend about 80% of their daylight hours searching for food!

Chickadees can hang upside down for several minutes while searching for insects in tree bark!

Chickadees have over 15 different types of calls they use to communicate with each other!

Chickadees establish life-long pair bonds and stay with the same mate for many years!

Chickadees are one of the easiest birds to train to eat from a bird feeder or even your hand!

Chickadees can lower their body temperature by up to 10-12°F (5.5-6.7°C) at night to conserve energy!

Habitat & Survival

Chickadees can be found in forests, parks, and backyards across North America, from Alaska to Florida!

Chickadees live in both leafy and evergreen forests, preferring areas with lots of trees!

Chickadees need natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes for nesting and winter shelter!

Chickadees can survive winter temperatures as low as -40°F (-40°C) by fluffing their feathers to create warm air pockets!

Chickadees often visit the same feeding areas each day, following a regular route called a “foraging circuit”!

Chickadees help trees stay healthy by eating insects that could harm the trees!

Chickadees create their own nest cavities by pecking out soft wood in dead trees!

Chickadees need to eat up to 30% of their body weight each day to survive!

Chickadees can find food even in complete darkness by using their excellent memory!

Chickadees can survive winter nights by entering a state called “regulated hypothermia” to save energy!

Life Cycle

Female chickadees lay 1–13 eggs, with 6-8 being the most common number!

Chickadee eggs are tiny, about the size of a jellybean, and are white with reddish-brown spots!

Baby chickadees open their eyes when they’re about 12 days old!

It takes 12–13 days for chickadee eggs to hatch!

Both parent chickadees work together to feed their babies up to 6,000-9,000 times in just two weeks

Young chickadees learn to fly when they’re about 16 days old!