The chickadee mating call is a series of notes or sounds made by male chickadees to attract females during the breeding season. Chickadees are small songbirds found throughout North America that are known for their distinct vocalizations.
When do chickadees make their mating call?
Male chickadees begin making their mating calls in late winter or early spring as the breeding season approaches. The timing varies somewhat across chickadee species and geographic regions, but generally occurs between February and April.
For example, Black-capped Chickadees in northern regions of North America start singing their mating calls as early as late February. Carolina Chickadees in the southeastern U.S. typically don’t start until early March. Mountain Chickadees in the western mountains begin in early to mid April.
Singing peaks during the 2-3 weeks prior to females beginning to build nests. It continues at a high level through completion of nest building and egg laying. Calling gradually declines once incubation is underway. By the time chicks hatch in late April or May, vocalizations related to mating have largely ended.
What does the chickadee mating call sound like?
The chickadee mating call is a familiar sound to many, though it varies somewhat between chickadee species. In general, it is a loud, complex series of whistles, notes, and trills.
The Black-capped Chickadee call is described as fee-bee fee bay with a trilled dee at the end. The Carolina Chickadee has a faster fee-bee fee-bee fee bay song. The Mountain Chickadee mating call is slower and lower pitched, sounding more like fee-bee-ee bay-ee.
Within each chickadee species, individual males may have slightly different dialects or versions of the call that identify them. Geographic variations in calls can occur across different chickadee populations as well.
Chickadee mating calls are quite loud and carry well through the forest. Black-capped Chickadee calls can be heard up to a quarter mile away. Carolina Chickadee calls carry about half that distance. Mountain Chickadee calls don’t travel as far given their lower volume.
What is the purpose of the mating call?
The chickadee mating call serves several important functions related to breeding:
- Attracting females – The primary purpose of the mating call is to announce a male’s presence and attract unmated females.
- Defending territory – The call communicates that a male chickadee has claimed a nesting territory and will defend it from other males.
- Signaling fitness – Characteristics of the call indicate the health and vitality of the male, which females assess in choosing a mate.
- Coordinating breeding – The call helps synchronize breeding cycles between males and females.
Females are drawn to males whose calls are louder, more complex, and demonstrate greater vocal skills. Calls give females information to discriminate between potential mates.
How do chickadees make the mating call?
Chickadees produce their mating calls using specialized structures in their vocal tract or syrinx:
- Syrinx – The chickadee syrinx contains vibrating tissues that modulate air flow from the lungs into specific sounds.
- Vocal tract – The beak, mouth, and throat act as resonant chambers that further shape the sounds into the final mating call.
- Beak movements – Moving the beak amplifies and filters the sounds.
Fine control over these structures allows chickadees to generate two different tones simultaneously, giving the call its unique harmonics and multiphonic quality. The syrinx muscles and vocal motor control required takes years to master.
When and where do they call from?
Male chickadees sing their mating tune throughout the day during peak breeding season, but calling is most intense in the early morning. This corresponds to when females are active searching for food.
Chickadees call from conspicuous elevated perches within their territory, often the highest branches of trees. Singing from open exposed sites allows the call to travel farther. Dominant males occupy and defend the prime calling locations.
How does weather affect the mating call?
Weather conditions can impact characteristics of the chickadee mating call:
- Low temperatures – Calls are lower pitched on colder mornings.
- High winds – Males call louder to compensate for wind interference.
- Rain/snow – Males call louder and more frequently before and after storms.
- Cloud cover – Songs are louder and higher pitched on cloudier days.
Chickadees have impressive ability to adjust their calls to optimize transmission under different environmental conditions. Cold weather and storms potentially interfere with call propagation, eliciting plastic changes.
Do females make a mating call?
Female chickadees do not have a distinct mating call of their own. However, they do respond to male chickadee mating calls in the following ways:
- Approach call – Females give a fast dee-dee-dee or fee-bee-bee call when approaching a desirable singing male.
- Copulation call – Females make a loud, sharp peep or squeal during mating.
- Nest call – Females hiss zeee when a predator gets close to the nest.
In addition to these specialized calls, females give normal chick-a-dee-dee-dee alarm and contact calls year-round like males do.
Do other birds mimic the chickadee mating call?
Some other bird species are able to mimic or imitate aspects of the chickadee mating call in their own vocalizations. Well known examples include:
- Blue Jay – Often incorporates fee-bee whistle sounds.
- Northern Flicker – Ends calls with chickadee-like trill.
- Tufted Titmouse – Song has fee-bee fee-bay notes interspersed.
- White-breasted Nuthatch – Mimics fee bee bay component.
The chickadee mating call is advantageous for other birds to mimic because chickadees are non-aggressive and the call carries well through the forest environment. However, mimics can be identified by getting the fine details of the call wrong.
How do chickadees respond to their own mating call?
When a male chickadee hears another male’s mating call within his territory, he usually responds aggressively by:
- Approaching the intruder while calling loudly.
- Mobbing or harassing the intruder to drive him away.
- Singing his own mating call louder to reassert claim to the territory.
Playback studies simulating an intruder show resident male chickadees quickly detect and move toward the call playback source. How aggressively they respond depends on factors like population density and dominance status.
Conclusion
In summary, the chickadee mating call is a loud, complex vocalization given by male chickadees in late winter and early spring to attract females for breeding. The call serves to both draw females and ward off competing males over nesting sites. Females assess characteristics of the call that reflect the male’s health and fitness as a mate. Chickadees are able to adjust features of the call in response to environmental conditions to optimize its transmission. The next time you hear the familiar chickadee mating tune, you’ll know the singing male is staking his claim and seeking a mate.
Here are some key points about the chickadee mating call:
- Given by male chickadees starting in late winter through early nesting season.
- Series of whistles, notes, and trills that varies between chickadee species.
- Attracts females, defends territory, and signals male fitness.
- Produced by specialized vocal tract structures that allow sophisticated sound modulation.
- Females attracted to louder, more complex calls indicating higher quality male.
- Males adjust features of call based on weather conditions.
- Other bird species mimic aspects of the call in their own songs.
- Serves an essential role in the seasonal breeding process and communication.
Understanding details about the chickadee mating call provides fascinating insight into the elaborate breeding biology and behaviors of these widespread songbirds.
