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chickadee

/ˈtʃɪkədi/
/ˈtʃɪkədi/
IPA guide

Other forms: chickadees

Chickadees are small, North American songbirds. These tiny, plump birds are mostly gray and tan, with white cheeks, a dark cap, and a black bib under the chin.

There are several species of chickadees, including black-capped chickadees and mountain chickadees. These bold, curious songbirds have a complex series of calls. In fact, the name chickadee is imitative of a sound they make when warning each other about predators. The more dee sounds chickadees make when they call chicka-dee-dee-dee, the bigger the perceived threat. Chickadees are masters of memory: A single chickadee hides away up to 80,000 seeds for the winter and can remember where it stashed every one.

Definitions of chickadee
  1. noun
    a small, grayish songbird of North America with white cheeks and a dark cap and throat
    see moresee less
    types:
    Parus atricapillus, black-capped chickadee, blackcap
    chickadee having a dark crown
    Carolina chickadee, Parus carolinensis
    southern United States chickadee similar to the blackcap but smaller
    type of:
    tit, titmouse
    small insectivorous birds
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