Chickadees are small songbirds in the tit family Paridae. There are two species of chickadees commonly found in Ohio – the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and the Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis). Chickadees are active, acrobatic little birds with big round heads, short necks, and tiny bills. They are known for their “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call which gives them their name. Chickadees are non-migratory and live year-round throughout their range.
Black-capped chickadees are one of the most widespread and common backyard birds in North America. They can be found in deciduous and mixed forests across nearly all of Ohio. Carolina chickadees have a more southerly distribution but can be found in the very southern parts of Ohio. Between the two species, some type of chickadee can be found across the entire state.
So in summary:
Yes, chickadees are very common throughout the state of Ohio. Both black-capped and Carolina chickadees reside in the state. Black-capped chickadees are found throughout Ohio while Carolina chickadees are only found in the far southern regions. But between the two species, chickadees can be considered a common sighting for Ohio residents.
Appearance and Identification
Chickadees are tiny birds, measuring only 4.5-6 inches in length with a 6.5-9 inch wingspan. They weigh a mere 0.3-0.5 ounces. Some key features to help identify the two Ohio chickadee species include:
Black-capped Chickadee
– Black cap and bib with white cheeks
– Gray back, wings, and flanks
– Buffy sides fade to white underparts
– Short dark bill
Carolina Chickadee
– Gray cap and bib with white cheeks
– Olive-brown back, wings, and flanks
– Pale buff sides fade to white underparts
– Short dark bill
Carolina chickadees have more olive-brown coloring while black-capped chickadees have darker gray/black coloring. But in general the two species look very similar. Their vocalizations are a better identification clue – Carolina chickadees have a faster, higher-pitched call than black-capped chickadees.
Habits and Behavior
Chickadees are active diurnal birds. They are constantly in motion foraging in trees and shrubs for seeds, berries, and insects. Some interesting chickadee behaviors include:
– Social – chickadees form flocks in winter for feeding and roosting. Flocks break up into breeding pairs in spring.
– Acrobatic – chickadees can hang upside down and hover to pick insects and seeds from branches and leaves.
– Caching food – chickadees hide food in hundreds of locations and recall these sites by memory
– Cavity nesters – chickadees nest in old woodpecker holes or manmade nest boxes
– Territorial – breeding pairs defend their territory with chickadee mobbing calls
– hardy – chickadees have amazing adaptability to cold. They can drop their body temperature and slow metabolism to survive freezing nights.
– Friendly – chickadees may come to bird feeders and even eat from your hand with patience
Habitat
Chickadees are found predominantly in deciduous and mixed woodlands across Ohio. Mature oak, beech, and maple forests with dense canopy cover are prime chickadee habitat. They also adapt well to parks, neighborhoods with trees, and rural areas with hedgerows.
Key habitat features chickadees need include:
– Mature trees – for nesting cavities
– Dense cover – for protection
– Varied foliage – for insect foraging
– Forest edge – found in greater densities here
– Water source – for drinking and bathing
Chickadees can thrive in fragmented habitat as long as patches of dense woods remain and there are corridors connecting the patches. Backyards and parks with native plantings also support chickadees.
Habitat Type | Suitability for Chickadees |
---|---|
Mature deciduous forest | High – optimal habitat |
Old suburban neighborhoods | High – suitable habitat |
Young suburbs with few trees | Low – lacks suitable habitat |
Rural areas with hedge rows | High – suitable habitat |
Parks and woodlots | Medium – suitable but fragmented |
Grasslands | Low – lacks wooded habitat |
Range and Distribution
As mentioned earlier, chickadees have an extensive range across much of North America:
– Black-capped chickadees are found across nearly all of Ohio as well as most of the northern U.S. and Canada.
– Carolina chickadees are native to the Southeastern U.S. Their northern limit reaches into southern Ohio.
Below are range maps for each species:
Black-capped Chickadee Range Map
Carolina Chickadee Range Map
In Ohio, black-capped chickadees are found statewide while the Carolina chickadee range is limited to the southernmost counties along the Ohio River. The chickadees overlap across the south central part of the state.
Diet
Chickadees are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of foods depending on season:
Spring and Summer
– Insects – caterpillars, spiders, beetles
– Other invertebrates – snails, millipedes
– Nectar and pollen
– Tree sap
Fall and Winter
– Seeds – from alder, birch, maples
– Berries – dogwood, viburnum, sumac, hawthorn
– Acorns
– Conifer seeds
– Sugary tree sap
Chickadees use their tiny bills to glean insects off bark and pick seeds and berries from plants. They hammer at cones and wood to get at beetle larvae. Chickadees are very resourceful in extracting hidden foods.
In winter, chickadees rely more on stored food caches. They have excellent spatial memory to recover hundreds of caches made across their territory.
Food Type | Examples | Notes |
---|---|---|
Insects | Caterpillars, spiders, beetles | Main food in spring and summer |
Fruit | Dogwood, sumac, hawthorn berries | Important fall and winter food source |
Seeds | Alder, birch, maple, pine seeds | Another key winter food |
Sap | From maples, other trees | Provides sugar in cold months |
Chickadees mainly forage in trees but will also visit bird feeders. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite feeder food. Suet is also readily eaten.
Breeding and Nesting
Chickadees nest in cavities – either natural holes or old woodpecker holes. They also readily use nest boxes. The breeding season is April through July.
Some key points about chickadee breeding and nesting:
– Males select a nest site and then attract a female with his dawn song
– 5-9 white eggs with brown speckles are laid
– Incubation is 12-13 days; only female incubates
– Chicks fledge at about 16-18 days old, fed by both parents
– First broods often renest for a second brood
Both parents build the nest, incubate eggs, brood nestlings and bring food. Chickadees form monogamous breeding pairs but DNA studies show some “cheating” with around 15% of chicks born from an outside male.
Nest boxes should have a 1-1.5 inch diameter entrance hole mounted 5-15 feet high. Chickadees may reuse nests or excavate fresh lining each season. They prefer a 2-8 inch cavity depth.
Interesting Facts
Some additional interesting tidbits about chickadees include:
– Chickadees can excavate their own nesting cavities in punky or decayed wood
– Males and females develop different calls and songs after their first year – males sing more and develop more complex songs
– Young chickadees stay with their parents through their first winter. They form winter flocks which mix various ages.
– Chickadees have an interesting hierarchical social structure within winter flocks.
– They are a host species for brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds.
– Black-capped chickadees have been expanding their range south in recent decades.
– Chickadees can increase their body fat up to 50% in winter.
– Their smaller body size allows them to decrease body temperature and enter a state of regulated hypothermia on cold winter nights, saving energy.
– Chickadees can recall the location of hundreds of cached food sites. Their spatial memory has been likened to humans remembering parking spots at the mall!
– Neuroscientists study differences in chickadee brain structure compared to other birds to understand memory and intelligence.
– Chickadees are the state bird of Maine and Massachusetts.
– Native Americans believed chickadees represented intelligence and curiosity.
– Chickadees rarely live past their fifth year but the record lifespan is 12 years 4 months.
Population Status
Both black-capped and Carolina chickadees have extensive ranges across North America. They are abundant species and their populations are considered secure. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, black-capped chickadees showed a survey-wide population increase of 0.81% per year from 1966 to 2015. Carolina chickadees showed a 0.32% annual increase from 1966 to 2015.
Neither chickadee species is considered threatened or endangered. They readily adapt to human activity and thrive in urban areas as long as some habitat remains. The greatest threat chickadees face is loss of isolated forest patches they depend on. As common backyard birds, they provide endless entertainment. Ensuring chickadees have nest sites and winter food sources will keep their populations stable. With their cheerful look and even disposition, chickadees will hopefully remain a fixture across the Ohio landscape for years to come.
Conclusion
In conclusion, chickadees are very common and found statewide across Ohio. This includes the black-capped chickadee throughout the state and the Carolina chickadee in southern regions. Chickadees are active and hardy birds adapted to cold climates. They add a burst of energy and cheeriness to backyards and neighborhoods where mature trees remain. Their populations remain secure as they readily adapt to bird feeders and other human activity when adequate habitat is available. Ohioans can easily attract chickadees to their yards by providing black oil sunflower seed, suet feeders or nest boxes. By answering their familiar “chick-a-dee-dee” call, we can ensure chickadees remain a thriving and cherished backyard bird for generations to come.