by John Hadidian, Ph.D.
One of the most welcome visitors to backyards and bird
feeders is the chickadee. When we talk about chickadees, we are
referring to several kinds of birds found in the United States
and Canada, as well as their many close relatives both here and
throughout Europe.
Like most birds, chickadees communicate both vocally and
visually. Chickadees are known to have "vocabularies" that
include highly complex sounds. As many as a dozen kinds of
sounds, or vocalizations, have been categorized and are
believed to have significance in communication, not only
between individuals, but also probably within small flocks. The
sound you are most likely to recognize while out raking leaves
or playing with the kids in your yard is the familiar
"chick-a-dee." Chickadee specialists have labeled a second
common vocalization the "fee-bee," which sounds like two clear
and distinctive notes, with the second somewhat softer than the
first. Chickadees usually start using the fee-bee call in late
December and use it most during spring. The majority of
fee-bees are sounded by males, typically from a perch and at
some distance from other birds.
A chickadee will also use this vocalization when leading a
flock or to advertise territory and repel possible rivals. Some
scientists are working to determine whether each chickadee's
fee-bee is unique and can be used by one chickadee to identify
another.
This short look at one of the "simpler" sounds made by
chickadees is offered to give the casual observer a peek into
the enormous complexity of chickadee behavior. From here we
could go to the more recognizable "chick-a-dee-dee" call or
digress into discussing the vocalization known as the "gargle."
If such a thought intrigues you, you may also be interested in
learning about behavior patterns involving chickadee postures
and facial expressions, which are equally rich with meaning.
But no further research is necessary to take pleasure in the
company of these wild neighbors.
Chickadee Songs and Calls
Chick-a-dee-dee: Male and female chickadees
use this call to announce a good food source, help reunite
separated flockmates, or signal "all clear" when danger has
passed.
The variable See: This high, thin note may be
given by one or both birds before or during mating.
Broken Dees: Nesting females give this call to
tell their mates to bring food.
Begging Dee: This call sounds like "feed me!
feed me me!" It is given by young chickadees when they
encounter adults after leaving the nest.
Tseet: This soft, high note is given
continuously by undisturbed chickadees to communicate with one
another. The call stops suddenly when the chickadee is
disturbed.
Ch'dle-ee, ch'dle-ee: Typically given during
disputes over territory or other aggressive situations, this
call is one example of the chickadee's gargle vocalization.
Individual chickadees may have fifteen or more different
gargles.
—John Hadidian is director of the
HSUS Urban Wildlife Program
