# Carolina Chickadee (*Poecile carolinensis*) The Carolina Chickadee is a small, cheerful bird with a black cap and white cheeks. They love to flit around trees and are known for their sweet, whistling calls that sound like 'chick-a-dee-dee-dee'. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 26 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Chickadee ![Carolina Chickadee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Carolina_Chickadee_sc_RWD.jpg&width=800) Photo: DickDaniels ( http://carolinabirds.org ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carolina_Chickadee_sc_RWD.jpg) ## Appearance The Carolina Chickadee is a small, plump songbird with a distinctive black cap and bib, contrasted by crisp white cheeks. Its back and wings are gray, while its belly is whitish with buffy sides, making it slightly less white on the wing edges compared to its northern cousin. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Paridae - **Genus:** Poecile ## Interesting facts - Carolina Chickadees fluff up their feathers to trap air and stay warm. - Chickadees often nest inside abandoned woodpecker holes or tiny tree cavities! - Their heart can beat over 500 times per minute when they are active! - This tiny bird can hang upside down to find hidden insects on branches! ## Special abilities - **Memory Master:** Carolina Chickadee can recall hundreds of hidden food locations because its brain's memory center temporarily expands in the fall. - **Cold Conqueror:** Carolina Chickadee can lower its body temperature at night (torpor) to save energy and survive freezing winter nights. - **Forest Language:** Carolina Chickadee has complex 'chick-a-dee-dee-dee' calls that communicate specific predator threats and their danger level. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11.5-13 cm - **Wingspan:** 16-20 cm - **Weight:** 0.009-0.012 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-7 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-10 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days ## Diet & Feeding These tiny birds feast on insects, spiders, seeds, and berries, especially in colder months! - **Primary Foods:** Caterpillars, Aphids, Spiders, Sunflower seeds, Suet, Berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — A common predator that hunts small birds like chickadees. - **Depends on:** [Downy Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/explore/downy-woodpecker) (*Dryobates pubescens*) — Chickadees often use old woodpecker nest cavities for their own nests. - **Eats:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Chickadees forage for insects and seeds found on oak trees. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Carolina Chickadee? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Carolina Chickadee? 11.5-13 cm ### What is Carolina Chickadee's wingspan? 16-20 cm ### How much does Carolina Chickadee weigh? 0.009-0.012 kg ### How long does Carolina Chickadee live? 2-7 years ### How fast can Carolina Chickadee move? 35 km/h ### What does Carolina Chickadee eat? These tiny birds feast on insects, spiders, seeds, and berries, especially in colder months! ### Where is Carolina Chickadee usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Charlestown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charlestown-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Eakin Community Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eakin-community-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Elk Neck State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elk-neck-state-forest) — Maryland, US · Forest - [Gloucester Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gloucester-downtown-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Houston Arboretum and Nature Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/houston-arboretum-and-nature-center) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [Isaac Franklin Plantation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/isaac-franklin-plantation) — Tennessee, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Carolina Chickadee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/carolina-chickadee) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Carolina Chickadee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/carolina-chickadee)