Facts about Black-capped Chickadee

1. 06

   Each Black-capped Chickadee can remember the location of approximately 10,000 individual seed caches it creates throughout its territory during winter months.

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2. 05

   A Black-capped Chickadee's brain can grow up to 30 percent larger in autumn to accommodate increased spatial memory for retrieving hundreds of cached seeds.

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3. 04

   In spring, a mated pair of Black-capped Chickadees can excavate a nest cavity in soft wood within 7 to 10 days using only their beaks.

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4. 03

   Black-capped Chickadees produce two distinct alarm calls that communicate the size of predators, with faster repeated notes indicating smaller threats like sparrowhawks versus slower notes for larger raptors.

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5. 02

   Over 1,000 seeds can be stored by a single Black-capped Chickadee in scattered caches throughout its territory each autumn.

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6. 01

   The Black-capped Chickadee can lower its body temperature by up to 48 degrees Fahrenheit on winter nights to conserve energy during torpor.

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