Carolina Chickadee
Parus carolinensis

Chickadee variable song, Natco Park, Hazlet, NJ, 9/15/05 (85kb), highly variable song structure, succession growth three needle pines with Flicker "whoika" in background.   wave888
South Amboy, New Jersey, 3/22/03 (87kb) female variable seees and male dees made during reproductive period.  The male and female Carolina Chickadees were about 5 feet apart in dense briars.  A Red-tailed Hawk was nearby but did not seem to disturb them. wave709
Ashland, DE 3/25/00 (20kb), unusual gurgles

wave697

Collegeville, PA, 3/15/03 (135kb), song-switching by a single male, unusual 3 part song "fee-bay-bay", then a 4 part "fee-bay-bay-bay", gurgles and then the classic 4 part Carolina Chickadee song "fee-bee, fee-bay"

wave695

Collegeville, PA, 3/15/03 (155kg) a variety of gurgles and snarls when a Red-tailed Hawk was nearby. 

wave696

Evansburg State Forest, PA, 3/31/00 (25kb), classic 4 note whistle (fee-bee, fee-bay) with "dee-dee-dee" call in background.  

wave 311

Sayerville, NJ, River Drive, 4/20/02 (23kb), classic Carolina Chickadee song "fee-bee, fee-bay"

wave527

Ashland, DE, 3/25/00 (75 kb), interesting variation on "fee-bee" song:  two part sequence "fee-bee, fee-bay" but with a half step pitch change on every other sequence making a two part melodic phrase.     wave712
Allaire State Park, Monmouth County, 8/1/99 (60kb) "dee-dee-dee" with Eastern Pewee

wave233

Collegeville, PA, 8/27/99 (65kb) "dee-dee-dee" with Jays   wave255
Cheesequake State Park, near salt marsh, 3/23/02 (162kb) "chit" with "snarl" and "dee: da-da-da-da-da" from another individual.  This clip was recorded in heavy wind and filtered.  These birds were only 3 feet apart in separate leafless bushes.    wave511
 

Index

Books and Articles:

Susan M. Smith, The Black-Capped Chickadee: Behavioral Ecology and Natural History, Cornell University Press, 1991.  Fascinating coverage of all species of chickadees. Natural history, study techniques, food and feeding, communication, breeding, non-breeding season, winter and population.  362 pages with extensive bibliography.