The Black-Capped Chickadee

(Script by Francie Von Mertens)

Black-capped chickadee song is heard now as days grow longer. Increasing daylight triggers hormones that in turn trigger birdsong and the breeding season ahead.

Between mates and rivals, the Black-capped Chickadee has a busy spring. (Courtesy wsweet321 via Flickr/Creative Commons)

The male chickadee's simple, two-part spring song is a familiar one. In March, winter chickadee flocks begin to separate into mated pairs. One male's song is answered by another male. Listen for a response and you may hear more than one.

For most bird species, it's the males that sing. And they sing for two main reasons: territory and courtship. A male sings to say he's on-territory; and a neighboring male responds with the same message. If there's disagreement about boundaries, there may be vigorous and noisy chase.

Once that's settled, a male sings to court a female. Dominant males get the first and best territories, and, in the bird world, experience equals dominance. An older male has that experience. By surviving in a perilous world, he has proven his superiority. He claims a breeding territory with better food and shelter; delivers more food to his mate and young; and defends them well against predators. Females sense that a younger male, less skilled in survival and in song, is a risky partner.

As for the familiar "chickadee-dee-dee,” it can be heard year-round, not just in spring. It calls the flock together and, depending on phrasing, it communicates a lot of messages: about a new food source, a predator, or a flock member that has strayed.

Chickadees are a chatty sort, and easy to encounter on neighborhood and forest walks.