Hobbies And Interests
Mating
Little information exists about the mating habits of many species of chickadee. The peak breeding season for most chickadees occurs sometime during early spring. The Carolina chickadee, for instance, breeds most commonly in April, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The chestnut-backed chickadee, however, starts breeding as early as mid-March, and the black-capped chickadee usually begins the mating process in February. During breeding season, chickadees tend to exhibit territorial behavior. Outside of breeding season, however, they easily join other birds in mixed-species flocks.
Nesting
Chickadees typically build their nests in cavities. Some species excavate their own cavities, while others seek out existing cavities created by nature or abandoned by other birds. The black-capped, Carolina and Mexican chickadees frequently create cavities in the decaying wood of dead tree trunks or limbs. On the other hand, mountain and gray-headed chickadees usually prefer natural cavities, or those abandoned by woodpeckers. Even when using an existing cavity, most chickadees make alterations and perform additional excavating before creating a nest. In most cases, the female constructs a nest using downy feathers and plant material.
Eggs
The chickadee's clutch size -- the number of eggs it lays -- varies slightly from type to type, but most species of chickadee lay anywhere between four to nine eggs. According to the Montana Field Guides, the boreal chickadee usually lays six to seven eggs. The Carolina chickadee has an average clutch range of five to eight eggs, and the chestnut-backed chickadee averages a clutch of five to seven eggs. The female chickadee incubates her eggs for no fewer than 11 days, but in some cases, incubation can take up to 16 days.
After Hatching
Both the male and female chickadee care for their young upon hatching. The parents guard the nest and feed their young until the baby chickadees fledge, or develop wing feathers capable of flight. The length of time required for fledging varies by individual species, but in most cases, the young fledge somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks of age. Carolina chickadees, for example, typically fledge 13 to 17 days after hatching, while boreal chickadees usually take 18 days before they gain the ability to leave the nest.