Baby chickadees start making their “chick-a-dee” calls when they’re just 16–21 days old!
Chickadees - Facts for Kids
Don't want random?
Search name of person, animal, place, thing, etc.
Share
Facts About Chickadees For Kids
A pair of chickadees usually raises only one batch of babies each year!
Young chickadees stay with their parents for about three weeks after leaving the nest!
Baby chickadees grow all their adult feathers within their first three weeks of life!
Female chickadees line their nests with soft materials like moss, fur, and plant fibers!
Diet & Feeding
Chickadees eat both plants and animals, making them omnivores!
Chickadees eat hundreds of different bugs — including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders — to stay strong and feed their babies!
Chickadees can store hundreds of food items in different places each day!
Chickadees have special throat muscles that let them carry large seeds while still flying!
Chickadees can open a sunflower seed in just 20 seconds!
Chickadees help farmers by eating pest insects that harm crops!
Chickadees can spot and catch flying insects in mid-air!
During winter, chickadees switch their diet to mainly seeds and berries!
Chickadees prefer to eat from the highest branches first, then work their way down!
Conservation & Population
There are over 30 million Black-capped Chickadees in North America!
Chickadee populations have remained stable over the past 50 years!
The biggest threat to chickadees is the loss of dead trees they need for nesting!
Climate change is causing chickadees to move their territories further north!
Putting up nest boxes in your yard can help provide homes for chickadees!
Chickadees help control insect populations, making them important for ecosystem health!
Chickadees are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act!
Chickadees can adapt well to urban environments as long as there are enough trees!
Feeding chickadees in winter helps them survive when natural food is scarce!
Special Abilities
Chickadees can see ultraviolet light, which helps them find food and mates!
Chickadees can process information about their surroundings faster than humans!
Chickadees can identify different types of trees by their bark texture!
Chickadees can distinguish between different human voices!
Chicadees birds can detect insect eggs and larvae hidden under tree bark!
Chickadees can learn new skills from watching other birds!
Chickadees can remember which feeders have the best food and visit them more often!
Interesting Behaviors
Chickadees take “dust baths” to keep their feathers clean and healthy!
Chickadees often cache (hide) food in tree bark, under leaves, and in other secret spots!
Chickadees are usually the first birds to discover new food sources in their territory!
Chickadees perform acrobatic moves while feeding, often hanging upside down!
Chickadees sometimes steal food from other birds’ hiding spots!
Chickadees take turns watching for predators while their flockmates eat!
