JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 • NEBRASKAland 15
Black-capped Chickadee
Song or calls: Rapid, nasal "chickadee-dee-
dee." Song is slow "fee-beee; beee" at lower
pitch.
Description: Sexes similar. Black throat
and cap; white cheeks; gray above; creamy
below, with buffy flanks. Wing coverts and
secondaries are broadly edged in white.
Behavior: Black-capped chickadees are
primary cavity nesters, which means they
excavate their own hole, usually in soft, rotting
tree stumps.
Habitat: Deciduous and coniferous forests,
as well as orchards, woodlots, and urban areas.
Nesting often occurs in edge situations or open
areas of forest.
Where in Nebraska: Common permanent
resident across the state. The population
increases during winter months with the arrival
of migrants from farther north.
Fun Facts: Each autumn, black-capped
chickadees allow old neuron cells to die and
new ones to grow in order to adapt to social
and environmental changes.
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To learn about more birds visit:
NebraskaBirdLibrary.org.
Nebraska Bird Library
Presented by
PHOTO
BY
ROCKY
HOFFMANN
