The Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is a small songbird in the tit family Paridae. It is a non-migratory bird found in the southeastern United States. Carolina chickadees have a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and a gray back, wings and tail. Their appearance changes very little from juveniles to adults, though babies do look slightly different when they first hatch and fledge from the nest. In this article, we will go over what a baby Carolina chickadee looks like at various stages of development.
Hatchlings
Carolina chickadee eggs typically hatch after 12-16 days of incubation. Newly hatched chicks are altricial, meaning they are helpless, naked, and blind at birth. Their eyes are sealed shut and they have no feathers or down covering their pink skin. They rely completely on their parents for warmth, food, and protection.
Here is what a Carolina chickadee hatchling looks like:
– Skin is bright pink and mostly naked except for some sparse white down feathers around the head and wings
– Eyes are sealed shut
– Body is round and plump, about 1 inch long
– Legs are thin and spindly
– Gape (mouth) is yellow with flanges on the edges
At this stage, the chickadee nestlings do not resemble adults. Their pink skin and lack of feathers make them look markedly different from mature chickadees with their signature black and white plumage. The hatchlings are also much smaller, weighing just a couple grams versus around 10-14 grams as adults.
Nestlings
After a few days in the nest, Carolina chickadee nestlings will grow additional down feathers to help insulate their bodies and retain heat. Their eyes will start to open at around 5 days old. Their bodies remain mostly pink and plump.
Some distinguishing features of Carolina chickadee nestlings include:
– Down feathers are longer and denser around the head, wings, and back
– Eyes open partially starting around day 5, revealing dark gray irises
– Weight increases to 6-8g as they grow
– Legs get thicker and stronger to support them
– Pin feathers start emerging around day 7-10
At 1-2 weeks old, the nestling chickadees start to vaguely resemble miniature, fuzzier versions of adults. Their open eyes, increased feathers, and more filled out body shape give them a more mature look. But they still lack most feathers, especially the characteristic black cap and bib. Their fat round bodies and fluffy down make them look very different from the sleek adults.
Fledglings
Around 16-18 days after hatching, the baby chickadees will be ready to leave the nest as fledglings. A chickadee fledgling has most of its juvenile plumage, though its colors are duller compared to adults. Here are some ways to identify a fledgling Carolina chickadee:
– Mostly feathered body with short tail and wings
– Smoky gray cap, nape, wings, and tail
– Light gray cheeks and underparts
– Black bib is very faint or absent
– Dull white edges on wings
– Gape is yellowish with some flanges remaining
– Eyes are dark gray and alert
– Continues begging parents for food
– Less gracefull and coordinated than adults when flying
The fledglings at this stage are about 75-80% of adult size. Their flight feathers and tail are still growing in. While resembling adults in overall shape and feather patterns, the duller colors and clumsier flying ability make them distinguishable as juveniles. Over time, as they mature and molt into their first winter plumage, the young chickadees will gain brighter black and white markings.
Development timeline
Here is a summary of the major physical changes in a baby Carolina chickadee from hatching to fledging:
Age | Stage | Physical Appearance |
---|---|---|
Day 1 | Hatchling | Bald, eyes closed, pink skin, no feathers |
Day 5 | Nestling | Sparse white down, eyes starting to open |
Day 10 | Nestling | White downy feathers, gray pinfeathers emerging |
Day 16 | Fledgling | Mostly feathered, faint black bib, dull gray and white plumage |
It takes about 2-3 weeks for the helpless hatchlings to develop into fledgling chickadees ready to leave the nest. Their appearance transforms dramatically during this rapid growth phase.
Male vs female fledglings
There are no major differences in plumage between male and female Carolina chickadee fledglings. The juveniles of both sexes look very similar. They have the same dull gray, black, and white patterns.
Sometimes a very faint difference in the shade of gray or black can help identify males from females:
– **Males** tend to have darker gray caps and bibs, often described as a sootier black
– **Females** usually show slightly lighter gray napes and bibs, more smokey colored
However, these differences are very subtle and there is extensive overlap between the sexes. Body size, weight, feather patterns, and other physical traits do not differ noticeably between young male and female chickadees. The most reliable way to sex fledgling chickadees is through DNA analysis.
Plumage changes to adulthood
After leaving the nest, the young chickadees will stay with their parents for 2-4 weeks as they learn to forage and become independent. Their juvenile plumage provides good camouflage at this vulnerable stage.
Over the next several months, the chickadee fledglings will replace their inaugural feathers during the prebasic molt. Their new first winter plumage will look more like adult chickadees:
– Black cap and bib become jet black
– Cheeks turn clean white
– Gray back, wings, and tail become bluish slate gray
– White wing bars and tail edges grow wider and brighter
By late fall, around 3-4 months old, the juvenile chickadees will appear very similar to mature adults, though they may still show some faint barring on the wings. Through successive molts, their plumage will continue acquiring the definitive adult coloration. The black cap and bib may take up to a year to become fully dark black.
Behavioral differences from adults
In addition to physical differences, baby Carolina chickadees exhibit some behavioral distinctions from mature birds:
Vocalizations
– Begging calls are loud, raspy, and repetitive
– Faint warbling sounds while still in nest
– Subsongs and calls are less intricate than adult chickadee songs
– Juvenile “fee-bee” song is slower and scruffier sounding
Movement
– Clumsy flying, with lots of fluttering and occasional falls
– Hopping and fluttering in nest while begging
– Adults appear more graceful and agile in flight
Foraging
– Completely dependent on parents for food at first
– Struggle handling large prey items like mature chickadees
– May take several weeks to become efficient at finding food
– Adults are highly skilled at extracting seeds and finding caches
Social behavior
– Beg constantly from parents, giving chick-a-dee calls
– Tend to stay close to parents and siblings
– Lack bonding behaviors like allopreening
– Adults have complex social structures and interactions
The young chickadees act similarly to adults as they mature, but their vocalizations, motor skills, and social behaviors are more simple and undeveloped initially. With time and practice, they hone their skills to match those of mature Carolina chickadees.
Conclusion
A baby Carolina chickadee goes through dramatic growth and development in a short span of time. Hatchlings emerge naked and helpless, relying on their parents completely. As nestlings, they slowly gain downy feathers and open their eyes. Within 2-3 weeks, they have most of their juvenile plumage and are ready to fledge from the nest. Newly fledged chickadees still have some fluffy down and duller gray/black patterns compared to adults. Over the next several months, they will molt and gradually acquire their mature black caps, white cheeks, and slate gray feathers. Behaviorally, the young chickadees start out noisy and awkward but soon refine their flying, foraging, and vocal skills. With time and practice, the juveniles master the traits that make Carolina chickadees such active, acrobatic, and charismatic songbirds.