Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
To survive cold winter nights, they can lower their body temperature to enter a state of regulated hypothermia called torpor.
- Scientific name
- Poecile carolinensis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Paridae › Poecile
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed woodlands, forest edges, and suburban parks.
- Diet
- Mainly insects and spiders during breeding season; seeds and berries during winter.
- Range
- Southeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Gulf Coast, Southern Midwest
- Size
- 11.5–13 cm in length; weight of 9–12 grams.
- Lifespan
- 2-3 years average; up to 10 years in the wild.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss, pesticide use reducing prey availability, and predation by domestic cats.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and often curious. Observe from a distance to avoid causing stress. Do not attempt to catch or touch. If a bird appears injured or sick, avoid direct contact and call a local wildlife rehabilitator.
The Carolina chickadee ( Poecile carolinensis ) is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is often placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships (Gill et al. , 2005). The American Ornithologists' Union has been treating Poecile as distinct genus for some time already.
Photo: Dan Pancamo, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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