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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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SocialFl
FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
C
starts withCarolina chickadees are small songbirds from North America. Their underparts are white with rusty brown on the flanks; their back is grey. They have a short dark bill, short wings, and a moderately long tail. Very similar to the Black-capped chickadee, the Carolina chickadee is distinguished by the slightly browner wing with the greater coverts brown (not whitish fringed) and the white fringing on the secondary feathers slightly less conspicuous; the tail is also slightly shorter and more square-ended.
Carolina chickadees breed in the United States from New Jersey west to southern Kansas and south to Florida and Texas. They are permanent residents and don’t migrate south even in severe winter weather. These small birds live in mixed or deciduous woods, riparian areas, shrublands, wetlands, and in urban and suburban areas.
Carolina chickadees are social birds and often form flocks of 8-10 birds. Each of the birds in a flock has a rank; while highly ranked birds will remain on the flock's territory for breeding, lower-ranked birds must find new breeding territory. Many other species of birds, including titmice, nuthatches, and warblers can often be found foraging in these flocks. Carolina chickadees feed by day hopping along tree branches searching for insects, sometimes hanging upside down or hovering; they may make short flights to catch insects in the air. They sometimes hammer seeds on a tree or shrub to open them and also will store seeds for later use. Carolina chickadees actively defend individual spaces of 2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m) apart; if another bird encroaches on these spaces, the dominant bird may make gargle calls. At feeders, these birds will usually take a seed and fly to a branch isolated from other birds to eat it. Carolina chickadees usually sleep in cavities, though they may sleep in branches. Different members of a flock will sleep in the same cavity from night to night. While females usually sleep in the nest cavity, males will normally sleep on a nearby branch. The most famous call of these birds is the familiar ‘chick-a-dee-dee-dee’ which gave them their name and their song is ‘fee-bee-fee-bay’.
Carolina chickadees have an omnivorous diet and feed both on animal and plant matter. Insects form a large part of their diet, especially in summer; seeds and berries become important in winter.
Carolina chickadees are monogamous and typically form long-lasting pair bonds. They start to form pairs in winter. They nest in a hole in a tree; the pair excavates the nest, using a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. The female will build the nest out of moss and strips of bark; she will then line it with hair or plant fibers. Clutches are usually made up of 3-10 eggs and are incubated for 12-16 days. The nestling period is usually 16-19 days and chicks become independent 2 to 3 weeks later. At 10 months of age young Carolina chickadees become reproductively mature and are ready to breed.
This species doesn’t face any major threats at present.
According to the All About Birds resource, the global breeding population of the Carolina chickadee is 13 million mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...