Signs of Spring Update: February 8, 2002
Today's Report Includes:
Chickadees! Surviving and Thriving
Snow is still flying over most of the U.S. and Canada, but even in the worst weather
we can still see and hear chickadees. Even on the coldest days of February these
amazing little birds are already singing their spring song. Imagine weighing 10 grams--about
the same as two quarters--and sleeping outside in the northern states and provinces
all winter long, naked as a jaybird! Black-capped Chickadees do this without any
problem. How is this possible?
- First of all, chickadees grow more feathers. A chickadee body is almost entirely
covered with thick down feathers. Under this thick down jacket, a chickadee's body
is even tinier than it looks. The down feathers provide insulation to hold the chickadee's
body warmth inside. How does a chickadee's body get its warmth in the first place?
- Chickadees keep active and eat as much as they can! The high energy food the
bird eats is burned up in the body, or metabolized, giving off heat. (A chickadee
in winter eats enough to gain about 10 percent of its body weight in fat each day,
and burns the fat at night.)
- A chickadee can also increase its heart rate to help keep warm. The energy from
its food gives the chickadee's heart the power to beat (over 600 beats every minute!)
and its muscles the energy to shiver. All this heats up a chickadee body to about
104 degrees Fahrenheit, only millimeters from where the air temperature can be colder
than 30 below zero!
Winter Sleep Out
During the long, frigid nights of the northern winter, when chickadees can't eat,
their bodies would quickly run out of energy to maintain a 104 degree temperature.
And chickadees don't feel comfortable snuggled up to other chickadees, so they can't
share their body warmth with one another. So when they go to sleep alone in their
little cavities, they turn down their body thermostat for the night, allowing their
temperature to drop over 20 degrees. At first light, they start shivering, and zip
off to eat a frozen breakfast that will heat them up to face another winter day.
Challenge Question #2:
"List as many advantages and disadvantages as you can think of for a chickadee
to sleep in a tree cavity in winter."
(To respond
to this question, please follow the instructions below.)
Chickadees Already Singing Spring Song
Daylength, temperature, and limited food all tell a chickadee that it's still winter.
But they're already singing their spring song--a clear, whistled "Hey,
sweetie!" or "Spring-time!" Why? Because it takes a chickadee
pair a long time to cement their pair bond and become physiologically ready for the
breeding season. They start singing in earnest in January, in February they sing
more, and in March and April the number of songs goes up even more.
Try This! Counting Songs
During the next few months, go outside at the same time of day (preferably
early in the morning) once a week and count chickadee songs for exactly 5 minutes.
Graph your data with the date on the X-axis and the number of songs on the Y-axis.
Between May 1 and May 10, send your data to us and we'll make a composite graph so
everyone can share your results!
Take a Gander at Journey North's Chickadee Dictionary!
Chickadees have many sounds besides their sweet spring whistle. The one they are
most famous for is their "chickadee-dee-dee" call, but scientists have
discovered at least 15 different vocalizations that Black-capped Chickadees can make.
To learn more about chickadee sounds and their meaning (is this "Chicka-deese"?),
check out the brand new Journey
North Chickadee Dictionary. You can find out what's going on in the chickadees'
world if you know what the birds are saying and singing. NOTE: Be sure to see the
Dictionary's link to a fun Chickadee Vocabulary Quiz that helps you test your "Chicka-deese"
and get ready for the next challenge question!
Speak Chicka-deese? Challenge Question #3
Have you read the Black-capped Chickadee Dictionary and taken the Chickadee
Vocabulary Quiz? Then you're ready to answer
Challenge Question #3:
"What call will a female chickadee give when she wants to say, 'Hiya, big
boy. How's about giving me a lil' ol' bug?'"
(To respond
to this question, please follow the instructions below.)
Please Report "Signs of Spring"
From Your Part of the World!
Report your "Signs of
Spring" sightings to Journey North. |
Remember to share your sightings of first frogs, earthworms, red-winged blackbirds,
barn swallows, emerging leaves, flowing sap, melting ice and other spring events.
How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:
(Answers will appear in the March 22 Signs of Spring Update.)
IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.
1. Address an E-mail message to: jn-challenge-spring@learner.org
2. IMPORTANT: In the Subject Line of your message write:
Challenge Question #2 (or #3).
3. In the body of the message, give your answer to the question above.
The Next Signs of Spring Update Will be Posted on February 22,
2002.
Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
|