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Brief Summary
Poecile atricapillus
A small (4 ¾ -5 ¾ inches) songbird, the Black-capped Chickadee is most easily identified by its gray back and tail, pale breast, black chin, and black cap. However, positive identification of this species is complicated where its range overlaps with that of the closely related Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis). Black-capped Chickadees are generally larger and paler-winged than their southern relatives, but it is often impossible to separate the two species in the field by physical appearance alone. Hybrids with mixed physical and vocal characteristics do occur, further complicating identification. Male and female Black-capped Chickadees are similar to one another in all seasons. The Black-capped Chickadee breeds across much of southern Alaska, Canada, and the northern half of the United States. This species' range overlaps with that of the Carolina Chickadee in a narrow band stretching from the Mid-Atlantic region west to Kansas, particularly where this species' range dips southward at higher elevations in the lower Appalachian Mountains. Black-capped Chickadees are generally non-migratory, although small groups may wander at times when food is scarce. Black-capped Chickadees inhabit a number of forest types, including deciduous and mixed deciduous-evergreen woodland habitats. This species also utilizes human-altered habitats, and may be found in urban and suburban areas where food and sufficient tree cover are available. Black-capped Chickadees eat a variety of plant and animal foods, with insects predominating in summer and seeds becoming more important in winter. In appropriate habitat, Black-capped Chickadees may be observed foraging for food in the tree canopy, often hanging from the ends of branches while eating seeds or picking insects off of leaves and bark. This species is also a common backyard feeder bird, visiting feeding trays as part of mixed flocks of small songbirds. This species' song, a whistled "fee-bee-bee," and its call, a clear "chick-a-dee-dee-dee," are both lower-pitched than those of the Carolina Chickadee. Black-capped Chickadees are primarily active during the day.
Global Range: This species is resident from western and central Alaska eastward across central and southern Canada to Newfoundland, and south to northwestern California, southern Utah, central New Mexico, Kansas, central Missouri, central Indiana, and northern New Jersey, and at higher elevations to the southern Appalachians (AOU 1998). Wanders irregularly south in winter.
The Black-capped Chickadee is confined to North America, ranging through most of Canada and the upper two-thirds of the United States.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
National Distribution
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
Geographic Range
Black-capped chickadees live only in North America. They can be found from Alaska through the southern half of Canada and as far south as the northern half of the United States.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
- Sibley, D. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Chanticleer Press, Inc..
- Smith, S. 1993. "Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)" (On-line). Birds of North America Online. Accessed July 09, 2008 at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/039.
most of Canada south of the arctic circle, south to extreme northwestern
California, extreme northeastern Nevada, northern New Mexico, central
Indiana, and northern New Jersey. At upper elevations in the
Appalachians its range extends farther south [6,31].
Regional Distribution in the Western United States
This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):
1 Northern Pacific Border
2 Cascade Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
Occurrence in North America
Physical Description
The Black-capped Chickadee is easily recognized by its short plump body, solid black cap and bib, and white cheeks. Its back and wings are dark greenish-gray, with some streaks of white and black.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average mass: 10.4 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.252 W.
Physical Description
Black-capped chickadees have short plump bodies, a solid black cap and bib, and white cheeks. They are a small bird weighing only 11 g and measuring 13.3 cm in length. Their wingspans measure 20.3 cm in flight. Their backs and wings are dark greenish-gray, with some streaks of white and black adorning the wing feathers. Their bellies are white with a light-reddish color on the flanks. They have small, pointed black beaks and dark legs. Male and female chickadees are identical.
Young black-capped chickadees resemble adults, but have brighter colors with more reddish coloration on the flanks.
Average mass: 11 g.
Average length: 13.3 cm.
Average wingspan: 20.3 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Average mass: 10.4 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.252 W.
Length: 13 cm
Weight: 11 grams
Diagnostic Description
The amount of white on the outer edge of the greater coverts is the best character for distinguishing PARUS ATRICAPILLUS and P. CAROLINENSIS in the field, but birds in the contact zone may not be identified with certainty (Robbins 1989).
Black-capped chickadees prefer deciduous woodlands, open woods and parks, cottonwood groves, and willow thickets. They are most commonly seen near edges of wooded areas.
Terrestrial Biomes: taiga ; forest
Habitat and Ecology
- Terrestrial
Comments: Black-capped chickadees inhabit deciduous and mixed deciduous/coniferous forest and woodland, willow thickets, cottonwood groves, old fields, and wooded suburban areas. Nests are in cavities dug by both sexes in trees, especially dead trees or rotten branches, sometimes in existing natural cavities, old woodpecker holes, bird boxes, or similar sites (Grubb and Bronson 1995, Condor 97:1067-1070).
Black-capped chickadees prefer forests, woods and parks, cottonwood groves, and willow thickets. They are most commonly seen near edges of wooded areas. They are a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeders. Black-capped chickadees nest in cavities, usually in dead trees or stumps, and are attracted to habitats with suitable nesting locations. During the winter, small flocks of black-capped chickadees can be found in dense pine forests.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: taiga ; forest
Other Habitat Features: suburban
- Ehrlich, P., D. Dobkin, D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder's Handbook. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc..
Cover Requirements
Nesting: Black-capped chickadees excavate holes in soft decayed wood
and also use existing cavities (but usually only if there is material to
be excavated) [30,31]. Dead standing trees greater than 4 inches (10
cm) dbh are used for nesting and feeding [6]. In Illinois nests were
found in cavities of stubs (broken off snags). The stubs were usually 5
to 6.6 feet (1.6-2 m) tall and 4.3 to 5.1 inches (11-13 cm) in diameter
Common nest sites are stubs of gray birch (Betula populifolia) or paper
birch (B. papyrifera) [12], but almost any early seral species with soft
wood may be used; the particular tree species favored depends on the
region. Most of these trees occur as living trees in early seral
stages, are short-lived, and persist into intermediate seral stages as
decaying snags [40]. For example, Odum [23] reported that of 18
black-capped chickadee nests he observed in upstate New York, 4 were in
pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), 3 in paper birch, 3 in American beech
(Fagus grandifolia), 2 in yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), 2 in
willows (Salix spp.), 1 in basswood (Tilia americana), 1 in sugar maple,
1 in white ash (Fraxinus americana), and 1 in an apple tree (Malus spp.)
[40]. In Vermont northern hardwoods forests, most black-capped
chickadee nest trees were in an advanced state of decay with soft outer
wood. Most nests were in trees that were shorter than neighboring
non-nest trees, but no smaller in diameter [26]. Nest trees used by
black-capped chickadees in northwestern Montana western larch (Larix
occidentalis)-Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests averaged 8
inches (20 cm) dbh and ranged from 4 to 12 inches (10-30.5 cm) dbh.
This was the smallest average diameter used by any of the cavity-nesting
birds observed [21]. Most nests were in broken-topped larch trees [20].
In Iowa 92 percent of black-capped chickadee nests in riparian
communities were in snags, 4 percent were in dead limbs of living trees,
and 4 percent were in living trees. There was a positive association
between black-capped chickadee use and snag size in snags less than 9
inches (25 cm) dbh [32]. In a riparian area in Colorado with a viable
black-capped chickadee population, snags are not plentiful but large
dead branches are. In an area dominated by plains cottonwood (Populus
deltoides var. occidentalis) with some peachleaf willow (S.
amygdaloides) and boxelder (Acer negundo), cottonwood snags comprised
2.7 percent of all cottonwood stems. This density of snags is quite
low, primarily due to the decadence of the stand. However, limb trees
(trees with more than 3.3 feet [1 m] of dead limbs greater than 4 inches
(10 cm) in diameter) made up 47 percent of the cottonwood population
In western Montana, McClelland and others [19] observed black-capped
chickadees using cavities excavated by sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus spp.)
[19]. Birdhouses are used occasionally [6].
Roosting: Black-capped chickadees roost primarily in thick vegetation
or in cavities, particularly on cold nights. Flocks seldom roost
clumped together, but flock members usually roost near each other [31].
Foraging and Feeding: Flock members usually feed from 3.3 to 33 feet
(1-10 m) apart, occasionally feeding within 2.5 inches (6 cm) for brief
periods [31].
Breeding Territory: Black-capped chickadee breeding territory size
varies with habitat quality, black-capped chickadee population density,
rank, and the course of the breeding season [30]. In upstate New York
breeding territories ranged in size from 8.4 acres (3.4 ha) to 17.1
acres (6.9 ha) and averaged 13.2 acres (5.3 ha) [23]. An eastern
Massachusetts population had an average breeding territory size of 10.7
acres (4.3 ha), but ranged from 3.8 to 17.9 acres (1.5-7.2 ha) [30].
Preferred Habitat
Black-capped chickadees prefer relatively open sites near deep woods
[6]. They are usually more common near edges, but also occur in the
interior of wooded tracts [31]. In Iowa most observations of
black-capped chickadees were in floodplain woodlands and scrub; fewer
black-capped chickadees were observed in upland woodlands, wooded edges,
and savannah (in descending order of numbers of observations).
Black-capped chickadee observations were positively correlated with
sapling and tree species richness, sapling and tree size, and vertical
patchiness. There was a negative correlation with vine density and with
snag hardness [32]. In Saskatchewan black-capped chickadees were found
in aspen (Populus spp.) groves larger than 0.5 acre (0.2 ha) in area,
and did not occur in smaller groves [15]. In Montana foliage-insect
feeders including black-capped chickadees were observed most often in
uncut forests. Black-capped chickadees fed primarily where foliage
canopy was well developed above 26.4 feet (8 m) [24].
Riparian communities are important to black-capped chickadees and other
gleaners (birds which search vegetation for stationary prey). Emerging
aquatic insects are a particularly valuable food for gleaners. Mayflies
and stoneflies spend most of the daylight hours resting on low
vegetation near the stream channel. The density of gleaners (in this
area black-capped chickadees were the most abundant gleaners) is
positively correlated with emergence rates of aquatic insects [10].
In Colorado black-capped chickadee nest site selection was positively
associated with density of small trees; in Missouri and Tennessee,
black-capped chickadees are reported to prefer small trees and young
open forest [28].
Associated Plant Communities
Black-capped chickadee habitat includes evergreen forested wetlands,
deciduous forested wetlands [35], deciduous woodlands, mixed woodlands,
deciduous and coniferous forests, orchards, deciduous shrubs, urban and
suburban areas [6], and disturbed areas such as old fields. Favored
riparian communities include cottonwood (Populus spp.) and sometimes
willow (Salix spp.) thickets. Birches (Betula spp.) and alders (Alnus
spp.) are often used for both food and nesting, but black-capped
chickadees use a wide variety of other plant species as well.
Black-capped chickadees occur in many habitat types [31].
In western North Dakota black-capped chickadees forage in the canopy and
nest in cavities in cottonwood stands; they occupy ash (mostly green ash
[Fraxinus pennsylvanica]) woodland interiors, and are found in pine
(Pinus spp.) communities. Black-capped chickadees are common in dense
ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) stands with well-developed shrub layers [14].
In the Konza Prairie, Kansas, black-capped chickadees were the second
most abundant species in gallery forests. These forests are dominated
by bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), chinkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii), and
hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) [8]. Black-capped chickadees also occur
on adjacent prairie dominated by big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii),
little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switchgrass (Panicum
virgatum), and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). The presence of
black-capped chickadees in grassland habitat was attributed to the
availability of isolated tree and shrub patches along ravines [8].
In Illinois black-capped chickadees were recorded in northern red oak
(Q. rubra)-sugar maple (Acer saccharum)-hackberry dominated woodlands [35].
Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types
This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):
109 Ponderosa pine shrubland
110 Ponderosa pine-grassland
412 Juniper-pinyon woodland
422 Riparian
Habitat: Cover Types
This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):
1 Jack pine
5 Balsam fir
12 Black spruce
13 Black spruce-tamarack
14 Northern pin oak
15 Red pine
16 Aspen
17 Pin cherry
18 Paper birch
19 Gray birch-red maple
20 White pine-northern red oak-red maple
21 Eastern white pine
22 White pine-hemlock
23 Eastern hemlock
24 Hemlock-yellow birch
25 Sugar maple-beech-yellow birch
26 Sugar maple-basswood
27 Sugar maple
28 Black cherry-maple
30 Red spruce-yellow birch
31 Red spruce-sugar maple-beech
32 Red spruce
33 Red spruce-balsam fir
34 Red spruce-Fraser fir
35 Paper birch-red spruce-balsam fir
37 Northern white-cedar
38 Tamarack
39 Black ash-American elm-red maple
40 Post oak-blackjack oak
42 Bur oak
43 Bear oak
44 Chestnut oak
46 Eastern redcedar
50 Black locust
51 White pine-chestnut oak
52 White oak-black oak-northern red oak
53 White oak
55 Northern red oak
57 Yellow-poplar
58 Yellow-poplar-eastern hemlock
59 Yellow-poplar-white oak-northern red oak
60 Beech-sugar maple
62 Silver maple-American elm
63 Cottonwood
87 Sweetgum-yellow-poplar
93 Sugarberry-American elm-green ash
94 Sycamore-sweetgum-American elm
95 Black willow
107 White spruce
108 Red maple
109 Hawthorn
110 Black oak
201 White spruce
202 White spruce-paper birch
204 Black spruce
205 Mountain hemlock
206 Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir
210 Interior Douglas-fir
208 Whitebark pine
210 Interior Douglas-fir
211 White fir
212 Western larch
213 Grand fir
215 Western white pine
216 Blue spruce
218 Lodgepole pine
219 Limber pine
223 Sitka spruce
224 Western hemlock
225 Western hemlock-Sitka spruce
227 Western redcedar-western hemlock
228 Western redcedar
229 Pacific Douglas-fir
230 Douglas-fir-western hemlock
234 Douglas-fir-tanoak-Pacific madrone
237 Interior ponderosa pine
238 Western juniper
244 Pacific ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir
245 Pacific ponderosa pine
251 White spruce-aspen
253 Black spruce-white spruce
254 Black spruce-paper birch
Habitat: Plant Associations
This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):
More info for the terms: bog, shrub
K001 Spruce-cedar-hemlock forest
K002 Cedar-hemlock-Douglas-fir forest
K003 Silver fir-Douglas-fir forest
K004 Fir-hemlock forest
K005 Mixed conifer forest
K008 Lodgepole pine-subalpine forest
K010 Ponderosa shrub forest
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K013 Cedar-hemlock-pine forest
K014 Grand fir-Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce-fir forest
K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K017 Black Hills pine forest
K018 Pine-Douglas-fir forest
K019 Arizona pine forest
K020 Spruce-fir-Douglas-fir forest
K021 Southwestern spruce-fir forest
K022 Great Basin pine forest
K028 Mosaic of K002 and K026
K029 California mixed evergreen forest
K081 Oak savanna
K082 Mosaic of K074 and K100
K093 Great Lakes spruce-fir forest
K094 Conifer bog
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K096 Northeastern spruce-fir forest
K097 Southeastern spruce-fir forest
K098 Northern floodplain forest
K099 Maple-basswood forest
K100 Oak-hickory forest
K101 Elm-ash forest
K109 Transition between K104 and K106
Habitat: Ecosystem
This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):
FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES15 Oak-hickory
FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood
FRES18 Maple-beech-birch
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES22 Western white pine
FRES23 Fir-spruce
FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce
FRES25 Larch
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
Trophic Strategy
Black-capped chickadees feed on both animals and plants (the overall consumption has been measured to be about 70% animal and 30% plant). Animal foods consist mainly of insects and spiders. Caterpillars are preferred in the breeding season. Chickadees have been observed eating deer or skunk fat and fish. Plant materials eaten by the chickadee include honeysuckle and blackberries, seeds from hemlocks, and wax-covered berries such as those of poison ivy and bayberry.
Comments: Eats mainly insects and other small invertebrates, and their eggs and immature stages, and seeds and fruits; forages mainly on woody twigs, branches, and stems (Terres 1980).
Food Habits
Black-capped chickadees feed on both animals and plants (the overall consumption has been measured to be about 70% animal and 30% plant). Animal foods consist mainly of insects and spiders. Caterpillars are preferred in the breeding season. Chickadees have been observed eating dead deer, skunks and fish. Plant materials eaten by chickadees include honeysuckle and blackberries, seeds from hemlocks, and wax-covered berries such as those of poison ivy and bayberry. They are often seed at backyard bird feeders, eating seed and suet. Black-capped chickadees obtain water from streams, puddles, bird baths, or by eating snow.
Animal Foods: carrion ; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit
Food Habits
Foraging: Black-capped chickadees forage from ground to treetop; ground
foraging birds have usually been displaced by higher ranking birds [30].
Black-capped chickadees forage on tree trunks, branches, and foliage
[11], feeding on insects [34], seeds, and berries. Five basic foraging
maneuvers used by black-capped chickadees are 1) gleaning (57% of time
spent foraging), 2) hanging from leaf or twig to capture food items
(28%), 3) hovering (8.8%), 4) probing (3.5%), and 5) catching insects in
flight, called hawking (2.4%). These proportions probably vary with
availability of prey, season, and other factors [31].
Caching: Black-capped chickadees cache seeds from open cones [11].
Insects are also cached. Most caching occurs in the fall, but caching
may occur at any time food is plentiful. Storage sites include bark,
dead leaves, clusters of conifer needles, dirt, and snow. Black-capped
chickadees scatter-hoard; they hide each individual food item in a
separate spot [31]. Sherry [29] reported that black-capped chickadees
can remember cache sites for at least 24 hours, and Hitchcock and Sherry
[13] reported that captive black-capped chickadees can recover caches
after 28 days.
Animal Foods: In winter, approximately 50 percent of black-capped
chickadee foods are animal foods, the rest seeds and berries. During
the breeding season, 80 to 90 percent of the black-capped chickadee diet
is animal foods [18,31]. Winter black-capped chickadee animal foods
consist mostly of eggs of moths, plant lice, katydids, and spiders. In
summer moths, caterpillars, spiders, beetles (particularly weevils),
flies, wasps, true bugs, plant lice, scale insects, leafhoppers, and
tree hoppers are common food items [18]. Smith [30] described the
black-capped chickadee summer diet as consisting largely of
caterpillars, including some hairy caterpillars such as early instar
gypsy moths and tent caterpillars. Black-capped chickadees have been
observed taking animal fat from carrion and eating suet and peanut butter
at feeders [30].
Plant Foods: Black-capped chickadee plant foods are mainly seeds and
berries including goldenrods (Solidago spp.) and staghorn sumac (Rhus
typhina) seeds in fall. Pine seeds are a main staple in fall, winter,
and spring. Seeds of hemlocks (Tsuga spp.) and birches are eaten in
winter; seeds or fruits of poison-ivies (Toxicodendron spp.),
blueberries and huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.), bayberries (Myrica
spp.), ragweeds (Ambrosia spp.), sunflowers (Helianthus spp.),
chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus
quinquefolia) are eaten in spring and summer [18]. Raspberries (Rubus
spp.), cherries (Prunus spp.), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron
tulipifera) seeds are also consumed [30].
Fluids: Black-capped chickadees drink when water is available. Fluids
are derived mostly from foods in winter; highest demand for liquid water
is in summer [31].
Black-capped chickadees give sharp "zeet" alarm calls when they see a predator. Predators are often mobbed by groups of chickadees in order to scare it away. Predators near nests often evoke a distraction display, where the chickadee lands near the predator, leans towards it with the tail feathers fully spread, and raises and lowers its wings.
Adult black-capped chickadees are preyed on primarily by small hawks, owls, and shrikes, including sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), northern shrikes (Lanius excubitor), eastern screech owls (Otus asio), and saw whet owls (Aegolius acadicus). Eggs and nestlings are preyed on by mammalian nest predators such as raccoons (Procyon lotor), squirrels (Sciurus and Tamiasciurus), opossums (Didelphis virginianus), and weasels (Mustela). House wrens (Troglodytes aedon) sometimes destroy eggs in order to take over the nesting cavity.
Known Predators:
- sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus)
- northern shrikes (Lanius excubitor)
- eastern screech owls (Otus asio)
- saw whet owls (Aegolius acadicus)
- raccoons (Procyon lotor)
- tree squirrels (Sciurus)
- red squirrels (Tamiasciurus)
- opossums (Didelphis virginianus)
- weasels (Mustela)
- house wrens (Troglodytes aedon)
- Smith, S. 1993. "Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)" (On-line). Birds of North America Online. Accessed July 09, 2008 at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/039.
Ecosystem Roles
As a cavity nesting species that excavates new nests each season, black-capped chickadees create habitat for other local species that rely on cavities. Many species that nest in cavities do not have the ability to create cavities themselves and are only able to breed where others have abandoned a nest. Black-capped chickadees occasionally eat seeds and berries and likely contribute to local seed distribution.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds; creates habitat
Black-capped chickadees give sharp "zeet" alarm calls when they see a predator. Predators are often mobbed by groups of chickadees in order to scare it away. Predators near nests often evoke a distraction display, where the chickadee lands near the predator, leans towards it with the tail feathers fully spread, and raises and lowers its wings.
Adult black-capped chickadees are preyed on primarily by small hawks, owls, and shrikes, including Accipiter striatus, Lanius excubitor, Otus asio, and Aegolius acadicus. Eggs and nestlings are preyed on by mammalian nest predators such as Procyon lotor, squirrels (genera Sciurus and Tamiasciurus), Didelphis virginianus, and Mustela. Troglodytes aedon sometimes destroy eggs in order to take over the nesting cavity.
Known Predators:
- Sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter_striatus)
- Northern shrikes (Lanius_excubitor)
- Eastern screech owls (Otus_asio)
- Saw whet owls (Aegolius_acadicus)
- Raccoons (Procyon_lotor)
- Tree squirrels (Sciurus)
- Red squirrels (Tamiasciurus)
- Opossums (Didelphis_virginianus)
- Weasels (Mustela)
- House wrens (Troglodytes_aedon)
(Accipiter gentilis), sharp-shinned hawk (A. striatus), Cooper's hawk
(A. cooperii), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), merlin (F.
columbarius), northern pygmy-owl (Glaucidium gnoma), and northern shrike
(Lanius excubiter). Around birdfeeders, the black-capped chickadee is
often preyed on by the domestic cat (Felis catus). Nest predators are
largely excluded by the small size of black-capped chickadee nest
entrance holes, but very small squirrels (Tamiascurius spp.) or
chipmunks (Tamias spp.) occasionally raid black-capped chickadee nests.
Weasels (Mustela spp.) and climbing snakes pose a threat to eggs and
nestlings [30].
Known predators
Accipiter striatus
Accipiter cooperii
Bubo virginianus
Based on studies in:
Canada: Manitoba (Forest)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- R. D. Bird, Biotic communities of the Aspen Parkland of central Canada, Ecology, 11:356-442, from p. 406 (1930).
- R. D. Bird, Biotic communities of the Aspen Parkland of central Canada, Ecology, 11:356-442, from p. 410 (1930).
Known prey organisms
Based on studies in:
Canada: Manitoba (Forest)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- R. D. Bird, Biotic communities of the Aspen Parkland of central Canada, Ecology, 11:356-442, from p. 406 (1930).
- R. D. Bird, Biotic communities of the Aspen Parkland of central Canada, Ecology, 11:356-442, from p. 410 (1930).
General Ecology
In Massachusetts, once they became breeders, males lived an average of 3.2 years, females lived an average of 2.5 years (Smith 1995, Auk 112:840-846). In Alberta, winter survival rates were higher in a food-supplemented area than in a control area, but breeding densities in the two areas were similar (Desrochers et al. 1988). In Pennsylvania, supplemental food appeared to influence movements more so than it did winter survival, but in Wisconsin there was evidence that bird feeders influenced actual survival rates (Egan and Brittingham 1994).
In southwestern Alberta, territory size averaged about 8-9 ha, overlapped with territories of mountain chickadee (Hill and Lein 1989).
In cold winter weather, black-capped chickadees may undergo regulated hypothermia, which saves them significant amounts of energy. They also store food and may roose communally in tree cavities, thus minimizing heat loss.
Habitat-related Fire Effects
The most likely change due to fire in black-capped chickadee habitat is
with respect to snag density (nest site availability) and food
availability. Niemi [22] suggested that chickadee populations generally
decrease following fire, probably due to a decrease in habitat
complexity and available food.
In northern Rocky Mountain conifer forests that were severely burned
within 1 to 2 years of the study, black-capped chickadees were detected
on 13 of 33 sites. In a survey of bird habitat studies in northern
Rocky Mountain dryland habitats, segregated by habitat type,
black-capped chickadees were found on early successional (less than 10
years old) burned forest (48% of 23 studies), and mid-successional (10
to 40 years old) burned forest (40% of 5 studies). Studies reporting
observations of birds in cottonwood bottomlands had the highest
proportion of black-capped chickadee observations (64% of 21 studies).
Black-capped chickadees had a habitat preference average of 9.71 out of
15 possible habitats (if this figure were 1, a bird species is
restricted to only 1 of the 15 habitats, if the figure were 15, the
species has shown absolutely no preference for any of the available
habitat types) [39].
In northern Minnesota the Little Sioux fire burned 15,000 acres (6,072
ha) of northern hardwoods and pine forests. Black-capped chickadees
were common on unburned stands, but in postfire years 2, 3, and 4 they
were uncommon on all burned study sites [22].
In north-central Colorado a severe 1966 wildfire in lodgepole pine
(Pinus contorta) with subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and Engelmann
spruce (Picea engelmannii) resulted in widespread crown mortality. In
1974 there were many standing dead trees on the burned site. There were
no black-capped chickadees observed on the burned site, but there were a
few in the ecotone and in adjacent unburned lodgepole stands [25].
Timing of Major Life History Events
Pair Formation: The peak period for pair formation is fall and is
associated with winter flock formation; winter flocks consist largely of
mated pairs. Even very young black-capped chickadees form pair bonds at
this time. A few pairs are formed in winter following mortality of
high-ranking members of the flock, and occasionally floaters
(low-ranking individuals unattached to a mate or a flock) establish new
pair bonds in spring [30,31].
Territory Establishment: Territories are established in spring, during
winter flock break-up; this period varies with area, year, and other
factors. Breeding territory boundaries are usually established 5 to 7
weeks before onset of egg-laying [30,31].
Nesting: Both the male and female excavate the nest hole, but the
female builds the nest. The cup-shaped nest consists of cottony plant
fibers, hairs, wool, moss, and leaves, and is lined with hair, plant
down, wool, and feathers [12].
Clutch: Eggs are laid from early April to mid-July depending on spring
weather and food availability [30]. Usually 1 egg is laid per day; the
average clutch size is from 6 to 8 eggs, ranging from 5 to 10. Eggs are
incubated for 12 to 13 days by the female, who is fed by the male [38].
All eggs usually hatch within 12 to 30 hours of each other, usually in
the order laid [31]; nestlings are present from early May to late July
Development of Young: Black-capped chickadees are altricial; newly
hatched young are blind and nearly naked. They have pinfeathers by
about day 9, and usually fledge on day 16. When nests are disturbed,
fledglings may leave the nest early, sometimes as early as 12 days.
Fledglings are fed by the parents for 2 to 4 weeks (3-4 weeks is
typical) [30,31].
Longevity: Age at first breeding is typically less than 1 year,
although some individuals may not breed until they are 1 or 2 years old.
The average lifespan of black-capped chickadees is approximately 2.5
years; however, 5-year-old birds were not uncommon in northwestern
Connecticut [17]. The longest lived black-capped chickadee on record
was at least 12 years 5 months at the time of last banding [31].
Mortality: Black-capped chickadees are fairly cold hardy; the majority
of black-capped chickadee mortality is believed to be caused by winter
malnutrition, which reduces the ability to withstand cold weather and
resist disease. There have been few major outbreaks of diseases in
black-capped chickadee populations and there are relatively few nest
parasites [31].
Wintering: Wintering flocks of black-capped chickadees usually consist
of four to eight individuals [9]. Black-capped chickadee residence in
cold climates is made possible by night torpor, a regulated hypothermia
which allows black-capped chickadees to survive cold nights with minimum
energy loss [31].
Seasonal Movements: Long-distance movements are usually only undertaken
by black-capped chickadees less than 1 year old. However, large numbers
of black-capped chickadees emigrate at irregular intervals of about 2
years. These movements are more properly termed irruptions than
seasonal migrations. Factors influencing irruptions, particularly in
the eastern portions of the black-capped chickadee range, include
fluctuation in northern seed crops and unusually high recruitment rates.
Fall movements tend to be south or southwest; spring movements are
usually northward but are sometimes aimless [31]. Movement over water
is avoided or undertaken only with great hesitation [30,38].
Life History and Behavior
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Communication and Perception
Black-capped chickadees are well known for their distinctive calls which sound like "chick-a-dee-dee-dee." This is not the only sound they make, however, as adults can produce 16 different calls. Young chickadees can produce 3 types of calls which are used for begging for food or if they are in distress. Males use a two-note "fee-bee" call to establish territory and attract mates. Chickadees also make an angry "gargle" call when intruders enter their territory.
Black-capped chickadees also communicate through body postures or movements. These body postures are known to convey aggression or appeasement. Aggressive behaviors include ruffling the body or crown feathers, hopping and pivoting behavior between two individuals, or an open-mouthed advance by one chickadee on another. Subordinate individuals will often try to appease an approaching dominant individual by holding their feathers tightly to their bodies while leaning and facing away from the dominant bird. Male and female black-capped chickadees perform a distraction display where a bird will flare it's tail feathers and wings to lure predators away from the nest.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Life Expectancy
Black-capped chickadees have been recorded living up to 11 years and 2 months in the wild.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 149 months.
- U.S. Geological Survey, 2011. "Bird Banding Laboratory" (On-line). Accessed October 25, 2011 at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/longevity/longevity_main.cfm.
There has been little formal study regarding the lifespan of black-capped chickadees. It is estimated that they live an average of 2.5 years with the oldest on record being 12.5 years old.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 12.5 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 2.5 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 149 months.
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
Pair formation occurs in the fall, with eggs being laid some time between April and early July (depending on the geographic location). The female builds the nest alone, as well as incubating the eggs exclusively. The eggs are left unattended for short periods (about 7 minutes). The male brings food to the female.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Average time to hatching: 12 days.
Average eggs per season: 7.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 180 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 180 days.
Nesting phenology varies geographically. Examples of known egg dates include: late April to mid-June in Illinois; early May to mid-July in Massachusetts; late May to early June in Nova Scotia; mid-April to late June in Oregon; and mid-April to early July in Michigan. Clutch size is 5-10 (usually 6-8). Incubation lasts usually 12-13 days. Young are tended by both parents, fledge 12-16 days after hatching. Initially fledglings are fed by their parents, disperse usually 3-4 weeks after fledging. Pairbond may persist over several years.
Black-capped chickadees form pairs of one male and one female. They stay with each other to mate and raise chicks, but they may find different partners from year to year. Pairs are formed during the fall migration. Males show interest in females by chasing them in flight. Males will select females of equal rank so that the highest ranking male will mate with the highest ranking female.
Mating System: monogamous
Both males and females participate in excavating a nest in a dead tree or rotting stump. Black-capped chickadees prefer a nesting tree if the inner wood is soft, but the outer wood is sturdy. Pairs will often excavate several nest cavities before the female selects one to begin building a nest in. The cavity is lined with moss, feathers, wood shavings, and animal hair. Nest cavities are rarely re-used in later years. The breeding season begins in early spring, and the eggs are laid between April and early July. The female begins laying eggs 1 to 2 days after completing the nest, with a typical clutch consisting of 6 to 8 eggs. Females are the only incubators and this incubation period lasts 12 to 13 days. While the female stays in the nest and warms the eggs, the male brings food for her. The young are altricial at birth, meaning they have only a few feathers and their eyes are closed. They depend on their parents for food and warmth. The chicks are very small and only weigh 1 g when they hatch. The chicks are fed and kept warm until they fledge (able to fly and leave the nest) at 14 to 18 days old. The parents and fledgelings then leave the nest site, but travel in a group and the parents continue to feed the young until they reach independence at 5 to 6 weeks of age.
Breeding interval: Black-capped chickadees breed once yearly.
Breeding season: Black-capped chickadees breed from April to early August.
Range eggs per season: 5 to 10.
Average eggs per season: 6 to 8.
Range time to hatching: 12 to 13 days.
Range fledging age: 14 to 18 days.
Range time to independence: 5 to 6 weeks.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
Average eggs per season: 7.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 180 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 180 days.
In black-capped chickadees, both males and females participate in excavating a cavity nest. They will excavate several cavities and the female will select one to construct a nest. The female builds the nest alone and fills the cavity with moss, feathers, wood chips and animal fur. During this time, the male will protect the surrounding territory by distracting any predators and leading them away from the nest. The female performs all egg incubation and the male will feed her. Once the chicks have hatched, the male continues his feeding duties and will provide food for the female and the chicks. Black-capped chickadees are born altricial and require significant parental investments to feed and brood the young until they can see, thermoregulate, and feed on their own. The female will leave the nest after the young develop feathers, and she will participate in gathering food for the growing chicks. After chicks have fledged, the family will leave the nest site and travel together until the young reach independence. Both the male and female participate in feeding the young until independence.
Parental Investment: altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female)
- Smith, S. 1993. "Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)" (On-line). Birds of North America Online. Accessed July 09, 2008 at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/039.
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Poecile atricapillus
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 35 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
-- end --
Download FASTA File
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Poecile atricapillus
Public Records: 35
Specimens with Barcodes: 36
Species With Barcodes: 1
Barcode data: Parus atricapillus
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.
Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.
-- end --
Download FASTA File
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Parus atricapillus
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
Conservation Status
While the clearing of forests for agriculture has led to more forest edge, which is favorable to black-capped chickadees, too much cutting can cause lack of natural nest sites. Due to feeders and nestboxes, however, the black-capped chickadee has little current threat to its population.
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: no special status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Year Assessed
National NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure
NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
While the clearing of forests for agriculture has led to more forest edge, which is favorable to black-capped chickadees, too much cutting can cause lack of natural nest sites. Due to feeders and nestboxes, however, black-capped chickadee populations are stable. Black-capped chickadees perform short-distance migrations and therefore are protected by the United States Migratory Bird Act. Black-capped chickadees are abundant throughout Michigan.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: no special status
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Management Requirements: See Mitchell (1988) for specifications for the construction and placement of nest boxes.
Management Considerations
A review of Christmas Bird Count data for the Pacific Northwest showed
that most black-capped chickadee populations have apparently been stable
during the past 40 years. Of 49 locales reporting, 6 showed significant
declines (stations in Alaska, British Columbia, Montana, and Oregon), 5
showed significant increases (British Columbia, California, Montana, and
Washington), and the remaining 38 showed no overall change. It was
speculated that the "significant" increases and decreases may actually
represent anomalous data [4].
Long-term wildlife management should strive for sites with a mosaic of
age structures [28]. In northwestern Connecticut the clearcutting of 60
acres (24.4 ha) of red pine (Pinus resinosa) within a 321 acre (130 ha)
banding plot had no discernible effect on black-capped chickadee
populations in a long-term population study [17].
Forest clearing can increase edge, which is preferred (but not required)
black-capped chickadee habitat. Removal of snags and cull trees with
dead limbs decreases available nest sites for black-capped chickadees
[31,32], although black-capped chickadees are listed as tolerant of
habitat alteration [32].
Stauffer and Best [32] listed the following predicted effects of various
types of habitat alteration on black-capped chickadee populations:
removal of all wood vegetation: elimination
reduce woody vegetation to narrow strips: negative
woody canopy partly removed: no effect
woody canopy partly removed, shrubs and saplings thinned: negative
shrubs and saplings thinned: negative
snags removed: negative
Lack of cottonwood regeneration is detrimental to the long-term
stability of cavity-nesting bird populations [17].
In cold-winter areas, feeders often enhance black-capped chickadee
survival, particularly in disturbed areas where food supplies are
limited [31]. Nest boxes can increase available nest sites where
natural cavities are limited. Nest boxes are not readily used unless
they are half-filled with sawdust, apparently so that the birds have
something to excavate [30].
Black-capped chickadees are only rarely host to the brown-headed cowbird
(Molothrus ater) [31].
Black-capped chickadees are important predators of larch casebearer
larvae and pine sawfly larvae [5].
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Black-capped chickadees help control populations of insect species that may be harmful to agriculture and silviculture.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no negative effects of black-capped chickadees on humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Black-capped chickadees help control populations of insect species that may be harmful to agriculture and forestry. Many bird watchers enjoy black-capped chickadees as they are comical, active little birds that often visit backyard feeders.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Black-capped chickadee
The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, nonmigratory, North American songbird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. It is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts in the United States, and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada. It is well known for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights as well as its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (sometimes feeding from the hand). It is almost universally considered 'cute' due to its oversized round head, tiny body, and apparent curiosity about everything, including humans. [2]
Though often placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships.[3] The American Ornithologists' Union has treated Poecile as a distinct genus for some time.
The genus name Poecile has often been treated as feminine (giving the species name ending atricapilla); however, this was not specified by the original genus author Johann Jakob Kaup, and under the ICZN, the genus name must therefore be treated by default as masculine, giving the name ending atricapillus.[4]
At one time the black-capped chickadee was considered by some to be conspecific with the willow tit of Eurasia, due to their very similar appearance. This is reflected in an older version of the Peterson Field Guide for the Birds of Britain and Europe, which states "N Am. Black-Capped Chickadee" as an alternate name for the willow tit. In fact the willow tit, black-capped chickadee, marsh tit and Carolina chickadee are all very similar to one another in appearance.
The black-capped chickadee has a black cap and "bib" with white sides to the face. Its underparts are white with rusty brown on the flanks. Its back is gray and the tail is normally slate-gray. This bird has a short dark bill of 8–9.5 mm (0.31–0.37 in), short rounded wings 63.5–67.5 mm (2.50–2.66 in), a tarsus of 16–17 mm (0.63–0.67 in) and a long tail at 58–63 mm (2.3–2.5 in).[5] Total body length is 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), wingspan is 16–21 cm (6.3–8.3 in) and body mass is 9–14 g (0.32–0.49 oz).[6] Sexes look alike, but males are slightly larger and longer than females.
Although range can generally be used to separate them, the black-capped chickadee is very similar in appearance to the Carolina chickadee. The black-capped is larger on average but this cannot be used reliably for identification. The most obvious difference between the two is in the wing feathers. In the black-capped chickadee, the wing feathers have white edges that are larger and more conspicuous than those of the Carolina chickadee. The latter is often mistaken for black-capped chickadees with feather dystrophy which sometimes affects the appearance of the primary feathers making them look slimmer, a phenomenon caused by illnesses such as fatty liver disease in malnourished birds. Overall, the Carolina appears slightly paler colored whereas the flanks of the Black-capped can appear to have a trace of off-yellow or rusty coloration. Also, the black-capped generally has a more "ragged" looking black bib, whereas the bib of the Carolina has a more smooth-edged look. These subtle features are often even more vague in populations around where the black-capped and Carolina overlap in range (possibly the result of hybrids) and the two cannot always be distinguished as two species. The two species were formerly thought to be easily distinguished by call, but they often learn each other's vocalizations where their ranges overlap (their point of overlap is a narrow band that runs along the east-central United States, with the black-capped chickadee to the north). A bird located near the zone of overlap that sings both songs, or sings "odd-sounding" songs, cannot be positively identified solely by voice in the field.[7]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The black-capped chickadee is found from coast to coast, from the northern half of the United States in the south, to James Bay, the southern edge of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, and the southern half of Alaska in the north. In winter it may wander outside this range, both to the north and south.
Its preferred habitat is deciduous woods or mixed (deciduous/coniferous) woods. It is also found in open woods, parks, and suburban areas. Habitat segregation is the principal factor that separates the black-capped chickadee from both the boreal chickadee in the north and the chestnut-backed chickadee in the Pacific northwest (these two species prefer strictly coniferous forests). Altitude also separates the black-capped chickadee from the (higher) mountain chickadee in the western mountains and the (lower) Carolina chickadee in the Great Smokey Mountains.
Diet and foraging[edit]
Insects (especially caterpillars) form a large part of their diet in summer. The birds hop along tree branches searching for food, sometimes hanging upside down or hovering; they may make short flights to catch insects in the air. Seeds and berries become more important in winter, though insect eggs and pupae remain on the menu. Black oil sunflower seeds are readily taken from bird feeders. The birds take a seed in their bill and commonly fly from the feeder to a tree, where they proceed to hammer the seed on a branch to open it.
Like many other species in the Paridae family, black-capped chickadees commonly cache food, mostly seeds but sometimes insects also.[8] Items are stored singly in various sites such as bark, dead leaves, clusters of conifer needles, or knotholes. Memory for the location of caches can last up to 28 days.[9] Within the first 24 hours, the birds can even remember the relative quality of the stored items.[10]
At bird feeders, black-capped chickadees tolerate human approach to a much greater degree than do other species. In fact, during the winter, many individuals accustomed to human habitation will readily accept seed from a person's hand.
On cold winter nights, these birds reduce their body temperature by as much as 10-12 °C (18-22 °F) (from their normal temperature of about 42 °C (108 °F)) to conserve energy.[11][12] Such a capacity for torpor is rare in birds (or at least, rarely studied). Other bird species capable of torpor include the common swift Apus apus, the common poor-will Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, the lesser nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis, and various species of hummingbirds.
These birds are permanent residents, but sometimes they move south within their range, and even outside of it, in the fall or winter.
During the fall migration and in winter, chickadees often flock together. Many other species of birds – including titmice, nuthatches, and warblers – can often be found foraging in these flocks. Mixed flocks stay together because the chickadees call out whenever they find a good source of food. This calling-out forms cohesion for the group, allowing the other birds to find food more efficiently. When flocking, black-capped chickadees soon establish a rigid social hierarchy. In such hierarchies, males usually rank over females, and older birds over juveniles.
Body maintenance[edit]
Black-capped chickadees sleep in thick vegetation or in cavities, usually singly, though there have been suggestions that they may occasionally roost clumped together.[13] The sleeping posture is with the bill tucked under the scapular (shoulder) feathers.
This bird scratches its head with its foot over the wing. It can bathe in water, dew, or snow; young chickadees have been observed dust-bathing.
Their flight is slightly undulating with rapid wing beats. Flight speed is about 20 km/h (12 mph).[14]
The vocalizations of the black-capped chickadee are highly complex.[15] Thirteen distinct types of vocalizations have been classified, many of which are complex and can communicate different types of information. Chickadees' complex vocalizations are likely an evolutionary adaptation to their habitat: they live and feed in dense vegetation, and even when the flock is close together, individual birds tend to be out of each other's visual range.
The song of the black-capped is a simple, clear whistle of two notes, identical in rhythm, the first roughly a whole-step above the second.[16] This is distinguished from the Carolina chickadee's four-note call fee-bee fee-bay; the lower notes are nearly identical but the higher fee notes are omitted, making the Black-capped song like bee bay.
Some 'gargles', then a minute of singing.
NOTE: American Robin singing in background.
|Problems playing this file? See media help.
The males sing the song only in relative isolation from other chickadees (including their mates). In late summer, some young birds will sing only a single note. Both sexes sometimes make a faint version of the song, and this appears to be used when feeding young.
The most familiar call is the chick-a-dee-dee-dee which gave this bird its name. This simple-sounding call is astonishingly complex. It has been observed to consist of up to four distinct units which can be arranged in different patterns to communicate information about threats from predators and coordination of group movement. Recent study of the call shows that the number of dees indicates the level of threat from nearby predators. In an analysis of over 5,000 alarm calls from chickadees, it was found that alarm calls triggered by small, dangerous raptors had a shorter interval between chick and dee and tended to have extra dees, usually averaging four instead of two. In one case, a warning call about a pygmy owl – a prime threat to chickadees – contained 23 dees.[17] The Carolina chickadee makes a similar call which is faster and higher-pitched.
There are a number of other calls and sounds that these chickadees make, such as a gargle noise usually used by males to indicate a threat of attacking another male, often when feeding. This call is also used in sexual contexts. This noise is among the most complex of the calls, containing 2 to 9 of 14 distinct notes in one population that was studied.
Recent studies have shown that chickadees in an environment with ambient noise at the same frequencies as their songs have developed an evolutionary adaptation which enables them to adjust the frequency of their songs much quicker in order to effectively communicate with the surrounding population. [18]
The black-capped chickadee nests in a hole in a tree, 1–7 m (3.3–23.0 ft) above ground. The pair either excavate the hole together, or use a natural cavity, or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. This species will also nest in a nesting box. The nesting season is from late April through June. The nest is built by the female only. It consists of a base of coarse material such as moss or bark strips, and lining of finer material such as mammal hair. Eggs are white with fine dots of reddish brown concentrated at the larger end. On average, eggs are 1.52 cm × 1.22 cm (0.60 in × 0.48 in). Clutch size is 6–8 eggs. Incubation lasts 11–14 days and is by the female only, who is fed by the male. If there is an unusual disturbance at the nest entrance, the incubating female may utter an explosive hiss, like that of a snake, a probable adaptation to discourage nest predators.[19]
Hatchlings are altricial, naked with their eyes closed. Nestlings are fed by both sexes but are brooded by the female only (at which time the male brings food to her, which she passes on to the young). Young leave the nest 12–16 days post-hatching, in great part because the parents start presenting food only outside the nest hole. The young will still be fed by the parents for several weeks but are capable of catching food on their own within a week after leaving the nest.
Black-capped chickadees usually breed only once a year, but second broods are possible if the first one is lost. First breeding is at one year of age. Maximum recorded lifespan is twelve years, but most individuals live only half that long.[20]
Black-capped chickadees are socially monogamous, and males contribute greatly to reproduction. During the laying and incubation periods, males feed their partners extensively. When the nestlings hatch, males are the primary providers. However, as the nestlings grow, females become the main caretakers. Females prefer dominant males, and greater reproductive success is closely related to the higher ranking of the male.[21]
Black-capped chickadees may interbreed with Carolina chickadees or mountain chickadees where their ranges overlap. It appears to be more rare, but interbreeding with boreal chickadees has also been documented.[22]
Dominance hierarchy[edit]
During the winter, Poecile atricapillus form flocks through which dominance hierarchies can be easily observed. Dominance hierarchies play an important role in determining the social behaviors among the birds in these flocks. Positive correlates to higher social rankings include territory size, body condition, singing rate, and reproductive success.[23] The hierarchies are linear and stable; once a relationship is established between two birds, it stays the same for many years. In general, older and more experienced birds are dominant over younger individuals, and males are dominant over females.[24] Dominant and subordinate members differ in their foraging strategies and risk taking behaviors. Dominant individuals control access to preferred resources and restrict subordinates to foraging in novel, riskier or suboptimal environments. Subordinate individuals are often observed foraging in the outermost tree parts that are more prone to predators, while dominant individuals forage low and close to the tree trunk. In experiments, subordinate individuals display less neophobic when approaching novel foods and objects, compared to their dominant counterparts. Subordinate individuals are also more likely to enter novel environment than their dominant counterparts. This is similar to subordinate primates who feed on novel food more readily than the dominant individuals because they are more used to eating suboptimal and unfamiliar food. There is no difference observed in ability to learn novel foraging tasks between dominant and subordinate individuals.[25]
State and provincial bird[edit]
The black-capped chickadee is the state bird of Maine and Massachusetts and the provincial bird of New Brunswick. In 2014, the black-capped chickadee was named the official bird of Vancouver.
In the states of Alaska and Washington, and in parts of western Canada, black-capped chickadees are among a number of bird species affected by an unknown agent that is causing beak deformities which may cause stress for affected species by inhibiting feeding ability, mating, and grooming. black-capped chickadees were the first affected bird species, with reports of the deformity beginning in Alaska in the late 1990s, but more recently the deformity has been observed in close to 30 bird species in the affected areas.[26]
- ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Parus atricapillus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ "Black-capped Chickadee". Allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ Gill, F. B.; Slikas, B.; Sheldon, F. H. (2005). "Phylogeny of titmice (Paridae): II. Species relationships based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene" (PDF). Auk 122: 121–143. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0121:POTPIS]2.0.CO;2.
- ^ Del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A., & Christie D. (eds). (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2
- ^ — Species — Birds of North America Online. Bna.birds.cornell.edu. Retrieved on 2013-03-23.
- ^ Black-capped Chickadee, Life History, All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-23.
- ^ Tricky Bird IDs: Black-capped and Carolina chickadees. Birds.cornell.edu. Retrieved on 2013-03-23.
- ^ Heinrich, Bernd; Collins, Scott L. (June 1983). "Caterpillar Leaf Damage, and the Game of Hide-and-seek with Birds". Ecology 64 (3). doi:10.2307/1939978. JSTOR 1939978.
- ^ Hitchcock, C. L.; Sherry, D. F. (1990). "Long-term memory for cache sites in the Black-capped Chickadee". Animal Behaviour 40 (4): 701. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80699-2.
- ^ Sherry, D. F. (1984). "Food storage by the Black-capped Chickadee: memory for the location and contents of caches". Animal Behaviour 32 (2): 451. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(84)80281-X.
- ^ Chaplin, S. B. (1974). "Daily energetics of the Black-capped Chickadee, Parus atricapillus, in winter". Journal of Comparative Physiology 89 (4): 321. doi:10.1007/BF00695350.
- ^ Chaplin, S. B. (1976). "The physiology of hypothermia in the Black-capped Chickadee Parus atricapillus". Journal of Comparative Physiology B 112 (3): 335. doi:10.1007/BF00692303.
- ^ Loery, G.; Nichols, J. D. (1985). "Dynamics of a Black-capped Chickadee population, 1958–1983". Ecology 66: 1195–1203. doi:10.2307/1939172. JSTOR 1939172.
- ^ Greenewalt, C. H. (1955). "The flight of the Black-capped Chickadee and the White-breated Nuthatch". Auk 72 (1): 1–5. doi:10.2307/4081384.
- ^ Ficken, M. S.; Ficken, R. W.; Witkin, S. R. (1978). "Vocal repertoire of the Black-capped Chickadee" (PDF). Auk 95 (1): 34–48. doi:10.2307/4085493.
- ^ Jackson, Dave (24 March 2010). "Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society". Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
- ^ Templeton, C. N.; Greene, E.; Davis, K. (2005). "Allometry of alarm calls: black-capped chickadees encode information about predator size". Science 308 (5730): 1934–7. doi:10.1126/science.1108841. PMID 15976305.
- ^ Goodwin, Sarah; Podos, Jeffery. February 2013. Shift of song frequinces in response to masking tones. Animal Behaviour. Vol. 85 Issue 2, p435-440. 6p. Goodwin and Podos tested the theory that over time populations may adapt to overcome environmental factors which may affect verbal communication. In this study black capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) song frequencies were studied and then tones were broadcast within the frequency range to compete with the song as well as artificial broadcasts well outside of the range as a control frequency. Findings included that males where adjusting their frequency much quicker once introduced to the competing ambient noise. This study shows that the chickadee has developed a mechanism to increase the effectiveness of its verbal communication by altering the frequency of the songs.
- ^ Forbush, E.H. (1925-29) Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Mass. Dept. of Agriculture, Boston.
- ^ Löf, R. A. (1967). "Ten years of banding black-capped chickadees". EBBA News 30: 195–198.
- ^ Oort, Harry Van; Otter, Kenneth A.; Fort, Kevin T.; Mcdonell, Zoe (2007). "Habitat, Dominance, And The Phenotypic Quality Of Male Black-Capped Chickadees". The Condor 109 (1): 88. doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[88:hdatpq]2.0.co;2.
- ^ Lait, Linda; Lauff, R. F.; Burg, T. M. (2012). "Genetic evidence supports Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) x Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) hybridization in Atlantic Canada". The Canadian Field-Naturalist 126: 143.
- ^ An, Yong Seok; Kriengwatana, Buddhamas; Newman, Amy E.; Macdougall-Shackleton, Scott A.; Macdougall-Shackleton (2011). "Social Rank, Neophobia and Observational Learning in Black-capped Chickadees". Behavior 148 (1): 55-69. doi:10.1163/000579510x545829.
- ^ Oort, Harry Van; Otter, Kenneth A.; Fort, Kevin T.; Mcdonell, Zoe (2007). "Habitat, Dominance, And The Phenotypic Quality Of Male Black-Capped Chickadees". The Condor 109 (1): 88. doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[88:hdatpq]2.0.co;2.
- ^ An, Yong Seok; Kriengwatana, Buddhamas; Newman, Amy E.; Macdougall-Shackleton, Scott A.; Macdougall-Shackleton (2011). "Social Rank, Neophobia and Observational Learning in Black-capped Chickadees". Behavior 148 (1): 55-69. doi:10.1163/000579510x545829.
- ^ Beak Deformities. Alaska Science Center of the United States Geological Survey. Alaska.usgs.gov (15 February 2013). Retrieved on 2013-03-23.
Further reading[edit]
- Smith, S.M. (1991). The black-capped Chickadee: Behavioural Ecology and Natural History. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-2382-1 (1991 reprint).
- Smith, S.M. (1993). Black-capped Chickadee. In The Birds of North America, no. 39. (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim and F. Gill, eds.) Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences.
Names and Taxonomy
Comments: Formerly in genus PARUS but transferred to POECILE by AOU (1997); subsequently endings of ATRICAPILLUS and PRACTICUS were feminized to ATRICAPILLA and PRACTICA to agree with feminine POECILE (AOU 2000). See DeBenedictis (1987, Birding 19:42-45) for review of hybridization between P. CAROLINENSIS and P. ATRICAPILLA; the two taxa hybridize freely wherever they meet and easily could be regarded as conspecific. P. ATRICAPILLA exhibits little mtDNA genetic differentiation throughout the previously glaciated continental distribution; in general, mtDNA variation corresponds only weakly with subspecies designations; Newfoundland populations have distinct mtDNA haplotypes that differ from continental haplotypes by single restriction site changes (Gill et al. 1993). Phylogenetic analyses indicate that North American chickadees comprise two clades, P. HUDSONICA-RUFESCENS-SCLATERI versus P. CAROLINENSIS-ATRICAPILLA-GAMBELI, and that P. CAROLINENSIS and P. ATRICAPILLA are not sister species (Gill et al. 1993). See Sheldon et al. (1992) for DNA-DNA hybridization evidence of phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of PARUS.
Poecile atricapillus Linnaeus [2]. The 1957 A.O.U. checklist [1] (the
last one that included subspecies) listed nine subspecies of the
black-capped chickadee:
Poecile atricapillus atricapillus, eastern black-capped chickadee
P. a. practicus (Oberholser), Appalachian black-capped chickadee
P. a. bartletti Aldrich and Nutt., Newfoundland black-capped chickadee
P. a. turneri Ridgway, Yukon black-capped chickadee
P. a. septentrionalis Harris, long-tailed chickadee
P. a. occidentalis Baird, Oregon chickadee
P. a. fortuitus (Dawson and Bowles), Columbian black-capped chickadee
P. a. nevadensis (Linsdale), pallid black-capped chickadee
P. a. garrinus Behle, Rocky Mountain black-capped chickadee
Where the range of the black-capped chickadee overlaps that of other
chickadees (Poecile spp.) they are segregated by habitat. There are some
areas of breeding territory which the black-capped chickadee and the
Carolina chickadee (P. carolinensis) both use; in this area hybrids of
the two species commonly occur. There is some disagreement as to the
true status of the Carolina chickadee; it has been argued that it is a
subspecies of the black-capped chickadee rather than a separate species.
The most recent genetic evidence suggests that they are in fact separate
species. Hybrids with the mountain chickadee (P. gambeli) have also
been reported but are less common than black-capped chickadee-Carolina
chickadee hybrids [30].
Common Names
Original Classification
Origionally Linnaeus described Poecile atricapillus in 1766 as being in the genus Parus, after which it was moved to the genus Poecile.


text:
Wisconsin: Man kills girlfriend, paralyzes child after crashing car, fleeing
Man kills girlfriend, paralyzes 3-year-old after crashing car, fleeing
Steven Tudahl ran away after causing a crash that killed his girlfriend and paralyzed a 3-year-old boy, according to charges filed Tuesday. When police arrived at the accident scene Friday night, they found Larissa Christenson, 27, lying dead in a ditch. In another vehicle, a 3-year-old boy was slumped over with a severed spine.
Girl, ex-boyfriend and friends could be charged for sexting
WAUKESHA-- Waukesha police are recommending juvenile disorderly conduct charges against four 15-year-olds accused of sharing a nude photo of a girl on their cell phones. The girl who sent the photo of herself to her boyfriend is among those who could be charged.
Pregnancy faker gets prison time
MADISON -- A former Pierce County woman who faked a pregnancy and offered adoption to four women was been sentenced to four months in prison.
Baby born in jail dies, investigation underway
RACINE -- The death of an infant born to an inmate at the Racine County Jail is under investigation following an allegation that jailers waited hours before responding to the mother's call for help.
Man gets six years behind bars for sex with teen
APPLETON - An Appleton game store owner who had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Two arrested in the death of a fellow UWM student
MILWAUKEE - Two people have been arrested following the death of a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student, who apparently mixed alcohol and prescription drugs.
Sandhill crane shot with an arrow, survives for future revenge
MILWAUKEE -- A sandhill crane that was captured in central Wisconsin with an arrow through her body is ready for life in the wild after what a veteran bird rehabilitator calls a truly amazing recovery.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Anybody here use any of the ultra high TPI tires? I'm thinking specifically of the 320 TPI, Vittoria open corsa. Even the Rubino 150 looks intriguing. One big question on the 320; how do you inflate them when most floor pumps are 160 - 200 max...
Anybody here use any of the ultra high TPI tires? I'm thinking specifically of the 320 TPI, Vittoria open corsa. Even the Rubino 150 looks intriguing. One big question on the 320; how do you inflate them when most floor pumps are 160 - 200 max...
Last edited by bassjones; 03-06-11 at 04:24 AM. Reason: spelling
Further, faster, harder.
TPI is not a measure of pressure.
If you pump a bicycle tire up to 320 psi, something will explode.
I've look at the Open Corsa as a possible purchase. From what I've read, it rides very nice, wears relatively quickly, and may be more susceptible to flats. The definition of an event tire rather than an every day high milage tire. BOth the Pro3 and GP4000 tires have similar lifes pans and high quality rides, but the reviews I read rated them both higher than the Open Corsa for preventing flats. As A Clyde. I'd encourage you to rid at tire who have at least a 25mm size to improve the feel of the road (assuming your bike can fit them).
just spinning the wheels and up and over the hills of Western Maryland. Hmm make that the Hocking Hills of Ohio.
There are benefits and drawbacks to high TPI tires, depending on construction.
High TPI means a more flexible casing. To get a higher TPI count, they use thinner and thinner cotton thread. For very expensive tubular racing tires, they even use silk casing for maximum strength and highest thread count while maintaining a very flexible casing at light weight.
However... Thinner thread is easier to cut. A light racing tire with a thin outer tread composition will more easily flat out than a lower TPI tire with a similar outer construction because the casing is more durable. While more durable, it is also less flexible. This means that the tire cannot as easily mold to every nook and cranny in the road surface and the ride will feel harsher.
I prefer a compromise of weight, TPI and tread compound/design for maximizing comfort on my rides without sacrificing durability (both flat protection and overall duration of the tread before wearing out.) I found the Conti Gatorskin to be a reasonable mix of these 3 for a while, at least with a 28mm version, offering decent cushion, excellent flat protection and reasonable wear time. Last year I had some disappointment in the rainy season with the flat protection of the Gatorskin and switched to a slightly heavier tire which I think has a better feel on the road even though it uses a thicker, patterned tread compound: The Panaracer Pasela TG. The sidewall flexibility is greater than the Conti, but the tread is heavier and sheds more road grit than the slick Gatorskins. They're a lower pressure tire for the same size (28mm in each are 115psi max and 105psi max) but don't feel like they're sacrificing ride speed for comfort.
This is just one comparison; the only one I can make from experience. Keep asking around, try out different tires for yourself at different inflation pressures, and see what ends up being your favourite. Tires are a little bit like saddles... I'm sure there's people out there who have vastly different opinions from mine on the same two tires.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
I've used Vittoria Open Pave 290TPI tires. Other than wearing quickly, I couldn't tell much difference between them and any other tire. Granted, I didn't do any back-and-forth testing, which makes it much easier to feel tire differences. Still, I'm not convinced that ultra-high TPI tires are better than any other tire. My favorite performance tire is still the GP3000 w/Black Chili compound.
boy, don't I feel stupid.... walk of shame...
Further, faster, harder.
Don't feel stupid! There's probably 20 other people out there thinking the same thing. They just got educated too and if you didn't ask... You can't be expected to know everything.
It doesn't get harder, you just go slower.
Good info, I've often wondered what that meant as well.


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Zac Brown Joins GRAMMY Tribute to the Late Levon Helm
ZBB's Zac Brown, Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard and Mumford & Sons, along with five-time GRAMMY winner, GRAMMY Legend Award recipient and 2000 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Elton John and GRAMMY winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient (as a member of the Staple Singers) Mavis Staples will join together for a special tribute to the late Levon Helm as part of the annual In Memoriam segment on the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast. Current nominee T Bone Burnett will serve as musical director for this special tribute to Helm. Helm was a member of the revered rock group the Band, which received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Previously announced Country music performers for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards include current nominees Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.
GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes, five-time GRAMMY winner Faith Hill, three-time GRAMMY winner Tim McGraw, and four-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban will present during the GRAMMY telecast.
The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 10 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).


text: AddictionTribe.com | Users- vapidvector Profile Addiction login home health info groups browse gallery blogs forums polls games therapist blogs sign up find a counselor OFFLINE PROFILE GALLERY BLOGS FRIENDS FAVORITES MAIN PAGE Vapidvector "The Time Is Gone, The Song Is Over. Thought I'd Something More To Say..." My URL: http://www.addictiontribe.com/vapidvector ADD TO FRIENDS SEND MESSAGE SEND TRIBE VIBE ADD TO FAVORITES INVITE TO GROUPS JOB: Retired SMOKE: Yes SOBER SINCE: 11/12/2012 RELIGION: Christian ORIENTATION: Straight DATING STATUS: Married MEMBER SINCE: January 26, 2013 POINTS: [ 0 ] GENDER: Male LOCATION: Georgia, United States AGE: 60 VIEWS: 9 STAR SIGN: Scorpio LAST LOGIN: 07.27.13 MY GALLERY No Pictures Added Yet. MY FRIENDS No Friends Added Yet ABOUT ME Retired machinist. Spend lots of time with granddaughter and fishing. Depression. Anxiety. OCD. LIKES Fishing. People with manners. DISLIKES Rude people [This member only allows comments from his/her friends.] No Comments have been posted in my guestbook yet. Be the first to sign it. MUSIC Pink Floyd. Eric Clapton. BOOKS Sci-Fi / Crime / Horror / Thriller MOVIES Horror. Action. HOBBIES Fishing. NASCAR. GROUPS I BELONG TO Pornography Addiction RECENT VISITORS OFFLINE OFFLINE OFFLINE � Copyright AddictionTribe.com


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Janusz Kaminski
Birth Name: Janusz Kaminski
Born: 06/27/1959
Birth Place: Poland
Born: 06/27/1959
Birth Place: Poland
Kaminski was born on June 27, 1959 and raised in Wroclaw, Poland, a fairly large metropolis neatly tucked behind the Iron Curtain. The only child of a housewife and factory worker, Kaminski grew up with a passion for watching movies, though at the time, he never considered working in film as a possible career. Thanks to the slightly liberal attitude of Poland's censors, he was exposed to American films like "Vanishing Point" (1971) and the music of Pink Floyd, fueling his desire for a more free society and a place to buy a new pair of jeans. By the time he reached high school age, he knew that the creative life was for him. In 1980, he joined an amateur filmmaking club that traveled to Greec... Continue Bio >>
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As foreshadowed by company executives a few weeks ago, Royal Caribbean/Celebrity has announced it has cut 500 jobs. The employee layoff, which only involves shore side staffers, actually impacts 400; 100 open positions were eliminated as well. The cost-cutting move includes both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises.
"Like other cruise lines, we were severely impacted initially by the events
of September 11," says Royal Caribbean p.r. chief Lynn Martenstein. "We've
taken a number of cost saving measures, some more obvious than others."
The criteria for the cost-cuts, which included an embargo on philanthropic
contributions through 2002 and postponement of new informational technology
and automation projects, involved one major caveat, Martinstein says. "It
could not have a negative impact on the cruise product or the experience the
guest has on a cruise."
Beyond cost-cuttings -- or perhaps because of them – "the company is very
healthy," she adds. "We've taken a number of steps in the past few weeks
that strengthens our position in the current environment. We've taken cost
cutting measures, redeployed ships from Europe to lucrative domestic
Otherwise, it's life as usual at both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.
Celebrity's Summit has been launched (and raised $73,000 during preview
cruises which is being donated to the American Red Cross' Disaster Relief
Fund) and the 3,100-passenger Adventure of the Seas will be unveiled in
early November (and will be sailing out of New York, which makes it the
first major cruise ship to call there). Celebrity's Constellation, due in
April, is on track, Martinstein says, for an on-time delivery, as is Royal
Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas, despite a minor laundry room fire that
occurred last week while the vessel was in the shipyard.
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RCI Cuts 500 Jobs
RCI Cuts 500 Jobs
October 16, 2001


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which uses more ink?
I have an HP Photosmart C6380 All in one printer and am making some postcards. Does it use more ink to print these out individually or should I just color copy. I want to use the least amount of ink possible.
Re: which uses more ink?
It will not make any appreciable difference to either print or copy. There will be differences due to the print settings and how the prints are made:
- Printing large batches will be more economical than printing single copies. There is some overhead at the start of each print (pr copy) job, so printing ten copies at once is better than ten seperate jobs of one print each.
- Printing in Draft mode uses about half the ink of either Normal or Best modes.
- Printing on Photo media uses more ink than Inkjet paper or plain paper.
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging
Bob Headrick, HP Expert
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Cactus Sunrise by CeeThruMyEyesWatch
©2011-2016 CeeThruMyEyes
Totally stunning
Let me just say... wow!
Awesome! I just moved to Arizona and is admiring the Saguaro cactus. They are so cool huge. Pretty sunset!
Thank you so much & welcome to Arizona!! The Saguaro are just starting to bloom & are especially beautiful at this time of the year!
Your Welcome! Thank-You! I'm enjoying it here at Arizona very nice being here. I heard that the cactus started getting flowers already. I have seen some Saguaro's all bloomed. Yay! I'm at Scottsdale. I will be taking photos and such life here at the desert.
Yes the cacti are blooming, some have already finished blooming & some are just starting to! Something new to see every week.... there are some cacti that only bloom at night & the flowers only last for a day. You have a lot to see in the desert, never disappointing !
Beautiful. Great composition.
Well done!
Was listening to The good bad and the ugly when I saw this......This made my day thanks


text:
Serving cake in an attractive and appealing manner means tailoring your presentation to the specifics of a situation. In a buffet-like setting, where people serve themselves, placing many slices on a single large plate makes more sense than plating them individually. For a more formal setting, however, serving slices on individual plates makes for a charming end to a meal.
Slices and Arrangements
The larger the slice of cake, the larger the serving plate you should use. The extra size lets you arrange slices and show off garnishes to good effect. Plain plates are ideal if you have many garnishes, as patterns would create too much visual tension. Place narrow slices of cake flat on the plate to prevent tipping. The narrower the slice is, the more easily it falls over. For something fancier, stack thin slices of cake at different angles creating a tower -- a vertical stack -- of slices. This is best for firmer cakes, such as pound cake. Place pieces of fruit or whipped cream between slices as part of the garnish.
Cutting and Plating
To ensure clean cuts and even slices, mark all of the slices on the cake's surface before cutting. Use a sharp knife or a long piece of floss to cut the slices. In either case, wipe off excess crumbs or icing after each slice so that you do not mess up the cake's appearance. Carefully move each slice one at a time, using your fingers or a serving fork along with a pie server to ensure that slices do not tip or break. For a more dramatic look, place the slice of cake off-center on the plate, using garnishes such as strawberry slices to fill the extra space.
- Bakepedia: How to Cut and Serve Round Cake
- Hill and Valley: Sliced Creme Cake Lemon Tower
- Joy of Cooking; Irma S. Rombauer
- Photo Credit AlexPro9500/iStock/Getty Images
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Key things you need to know aboutDr. Pidgeon:
Dr. Pidgeon's Experience
Research training, expertise and qualifications
Dr. Pidgeon's Specialties
- Neurology
Procedures Dr. Pidgeon Performs
- EEG (Electroencephalogram)
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Be the first to evaluate Dr. Pidgeon by taking our Patient Satisfaction Survey.
Your feedback will help other patients make informed decisions, and let the doctor know how he's doing.
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Patient satisfaction surveys provide a standardized way of reporting about healthcare experiences. But there can be more than meets the eye when reviewing scores. Here's what you should know
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Review all of the information we have provided for the clinics. Some of them provide a wide array of services ranging from free to sliding scale services.
We have provided as much detailed information including phone numbers, emails, and websites where available.
Clinic services we list include:
Dental Clinic Services
Medical Clinic Services
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and more!!
Ampla Health Del Norte Family Health Center - Yuba City
(530) 673-9420
This organization offers FREE STD TESTING. This may not be a clinic that offers other medical services.Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Saturday: 8:00am - 5:00pmChlamydia Test& see clinic details
Peach Tree Clinic Yuba City - Yuba City
(530) 749-3242
Sliding Scale
Services: Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Women\'s Health, Pre-Natal, Sports Medicine, School Check-Ups, Immunizations, Telemedicine Referrals, Diabetes Management, DMV / School / Annual Physicals This clinic accepts New Patients & Walk-In Patients Payment: Medi-Cal, CHDP/Healthy Families, Medica see clinic details
Del Norte Childrens Medical Center - Yuba City
Sliding Scale
Services: Pediatrics, Infectious Disease, Physical Examinations, Immunizations, School Physicals, Well Baby, Immunizations, Vaccines for Children's Program Payment: This clinic accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare, Healthy Families and most private health insurance, as well, if you are uninsured and yo see clinic details
Richland Family Health Center - Yuba City
Sliding Scale
Hours: Monday–Friday8:00am-7:00pmSaturday8:30am-5:30pm Services: Medical Pediatrics, General Health Issues, Physical Examinations, Family Planning, Women's Health, Immunizations, Podiatry, Health Education, Nutritional Counseling, Laboratory, Referrals, General Health Issues, Physical E see clinic details
Del Norte Family Health Center - Yuba City
Sliding Scale
Hours: Monday– Friday8:00am-5:00pmSaturday8:00am-5:00pm Services: Medical, Adult Health Exams, Physical Examinations, Women's Health, Family Planning, Podiatry, Nutritional Counseling, Immunizations, Anemia Screenings Payment: This clinic accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare, Healthy Families a see clinic details
Yuba County Mobile Dental Clinic - Marysville
Location: 3 miles from Yuba CityMarysville, CA - 95901
(530) 788-3578
Sliding Scale
Medi-Cal accepted. Uninsured children may qualify for low cost �sliding fee� program.The Happy Tooth Mobile is a mobile dental clinic offering full service dentistry to Yuba County Children. Through the joint efforts of Marysville Joint Unified School District, Peach Tree Clinic and First 5 Yu see clinic details
Oroville Family Dentistry - Oroville
Location: 26 miles from Yuba CityOroville, CA - 95966
Sliding Scale
Medical: (530) 534-7500Hours: Monday– Friday8:00am-5:30pm Dental:(530) 533-6484 Hours: Monday– Friday7:15am-4:15pm Medical Services: Physical Examinations, Family Planning, Women's Health, Immunizations, Health Education, Mental Health Counseling, Nutritional Counseling, HIV/AIDS see clinic details
Lindhurst Family Health Center - Olivehurst
Location: 5 miles from Yuba CityOlivehurst, CA - 95961
Sliding Scale
Medical: (530) 743-4611 Hours: Monday– Friday8:00am-5:00pmSaturday8:30am-12:30pmDental: (530) 743-4614 Hours: Monday– Friday7:00am-4:00pmSaturday8:00am-4:00pm Medical Services: Medical Pediatrics, Adult Health Exams, Physical Examinations, CHDP School Entry, Women's Health, Family see clinic details
Gridley Family Health Center - Gridley
Location: 16 miles from Yuba CityGridley, CA - 95948
Sliding Scale
Hours:Monday & Friday8:00am-5:00pmTuesday – Thursday8:00am - 8:00pmSaturday9:00am –6:00pm Services: Medical Pediatrics, Adult Health Exams, Physical Examinations, CHDP School Entry, Women's Health, Family Planning, Nutritional Counseling, Immunizations, Anemia Screenings, Infe see clinic details
Colusa Family Health Center - Colusa
Location: 21 miles from Yuba CityColusa, CA - 95932
Sliding Scale
Services: Medical Pediatrics, Physical Examinations, Family Planning, Women's Health, Immunizations, Health Education, Mental Health Counseling, Nutritional Counseling, Laboratory, The Perinatal Care Program; Pregnancy tests, Medi-Cal, Prenatal vitamins, Medical Services for pregnancy and your see clinic details
Live Oak Clinic - Live Oak
Location: 10 miles from Yuba CityLive Oak, CA - 95953
530-741-6245 x1
Sliding Scale
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm Services: Family Health, Pediatrics, Immunizations, Women's Health, CHDP Healthy Families / School Check-Ups, Diabetes Management, Sprains / Strains, DMV / School / Annual Physicals, Sports Physicals This clinic accepts New Patients & Walk-In Patients. see clinic details
As an enhancement to our free medical clinic listings we now provide sliding scale treatment clinics. Sliding fee scale are variable prices for services due to customers ability to pay. Medical and dental fees are reduced due to many factors. That is why you need to call the clinic directly on these sliding fee scale clinics.
We also provide income based clinics. These clinics are HRSA Health Centers. You pay what you can afford based on your income.
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When it comes to dressing up for a Christmas nativity scene, the Magi are a must. Our Men's Emerald Wisemen Costume features a cape, shirt, headpiece, belt, and pants. If you're looking to be the most rich and detailed of the wise men, this costume is key! The deep emerald green runs through the cape and on the drapery that surrounds the neck. The tunic shirt features an animal print design in rich red, black, tan, and gold hues. The thick gold belt has a faux emerald lying gin the middle, and is to be worn around the waist! The headpiece features a gold hat like piece with an emerald detail with a tan material hanging from the back. The pants are brown with a harem like cut. This authentic outfit will be great to wear as a Halloween party costume! A few small details, like a beard, would really complete your look!
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Nelson and Lynn Blizzard of Deep Run announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Nicole Blizzard, to Stewart Morris Abrams, son of Joyce Abrams of Marion, Ala., and the late Tim Abrams. An Oct. 20 wedding will be held at Smith�s New Home Original Free Will Baptist Church in Deep Run.
Location, ST | website.com