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Black-Capped Chickadee
The Black-Capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus) is a tiny bird much
smaller than a sparrow, plump, with a small bill. Both male and female are
alike. They are polite birds, and cheerfully announce their own name.
"Chick a dee dee dee", they say, or perhaps just "dee dee dee". Again, you
may be thrilled by a beautiful whistled note that sounds like "fee bee,
fee bee".
They have a black cap and a bib neatly tucked in where a bib should be.
They are gray backed, with buff sides. They are acrobatic little birds,
and remind one of a child on a tricky bar. They also accompany their antics
with a few whistled notes, in keeping with their movements.
This bird searches the bark of trees for small insects, and they also eat
berries and small seeds. In the summer they may sit on your fishing pole,
and one man claimed they would come and sit on his cap while he fished.
Though they come down into the valleys in the fall and winter, when spring
arrives they usually return to the higher country. They make their nests
in holes of stumps or trees.
If you should put out some suet, peanut bits, or sunflower seeds, you may
have a small flock come to dine in your yard. It may well be that they will
announce their own names!
The Mountain Chickadee (Parus gambeli) is similar, but has a white
eyebrow stripe.
-- by Jennie Reynolds
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