Black Capped Chickadee

                  The black capped chickadee is a bird primarily found in the center through north region of the USA and southern Canada. The bird's binomial nomenclature is Poecile atricapillus, which means colonnade of black head hair. A flock of black capped chickadees is known as a banditry due to their mask wearing face. The bird also has the appearance of having a black cap. They live in deciduous forests and can be spotted in your backyard (if you live in northern New Jersey). They are not sexually dimorphic, they live in alder or birch trees and use a combination of wood chips, grass, moss, and previous molts. They do not migrate for the winter. The black capped chickadee females can lay from one to thirteen eggs. Both the male and female are the same size, from 4.7 in to 5.9 in. They are a perching bird and enjoy to fly low and high off the ground (5ft-20ft). Yes, they like to dive in front of cars for no reason! Related to carolina chickadee, mountain chickadee, boreal chickadee, mexican chickadee, etc. They rely on seeds, berries and small insects during warmer seasons, and mostly berries in the winter. They have also been spotted eating the fat remains of dead animals. Non monogamous, and will use feet in combat although their tarsus reaches only one inch. Males live within one year and eight months and the females live withinone year and five months, so go find one, they're fun to watch!

Eric Duarte