Black-Capped Chickadee: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Songbirds · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. A chickadee's call has a code: more dees mean more danger. One warning about a pygmy owl had 23 dees.
2. Chickadees hide food and can remember the spot for up to 28 days. Within 24 hours they even recall how good each item was.
3. The chickadee hippocampus is biggest in October, smallest in February. It is believed to grow to remember caches, then shrink.
4. On cold winter nights, a chickadee can let its body cool by up to 12 °C to save energy, something few birds can do.
5. A nesting female chickadee disturbed at the nest entrance may utter an explosive hiss like a snake's, probably to discourage nest predators.

The quiz

1. What does the number of dees tell other birds?

• How far away food is
• How dangerous the predator is (correct)
• The caller's age
• The time of day

A chickadee's call has a code: more dees mean more danger. One warning about a pygmy owl had 23 dees.

2. How long can chickadees remember a cache spot?

• Up to 3 days
• Up to 6 months
• Only a few hours
• Up to 28 days (correct)

Chickadees hide food and can remember the spot for up to 28 days. Within 24 hours they even recall how good each item was.

3. When is the chickadee hippocampus biggest?

• October (correct)
• February
• July
• April

The chickadee hippocampus is biggest in October, smallest in February. It is believed to grow to remember caches, then shrink.

4. By how much can chickadees lower their body temperature?

• As much as 2 °C
• As much as 30 °C
• As much as 12 °C (correct)
• As much as 50 °C

On cold nights, a chickadee can drop its body temperature by up to 12 °C to save energy.

5. What sound can a disturbed incubating female chickadee make?

• A roar
• A hiss like a snake's (correct)
• A buzz like a bee's
• A loud drumming

A nesting female chickadee disturbed at the nest entrance may utter an explosive hiss like a snake's, probably to discourage nest predators.

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