Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

I think these tiny little birds are the cutest and most curious in the bird kingdom!  They look similar to house sparrows till you get a good look at them.  Very similar in size, what sets them apart is the colour of the nape and the back.  The Black-capped Chickadee has a gray nape and back, whereas the House Sparrow's is reddish.

The calls are different as well, once you listen carefully.  However, I sometimes confuse the Chickadee call with that of a Nuthatch, a blackbird or even a Cardinal!  I have heard 3 to 4 distinctly different calls, and thereby the confusion.

There isn't any difference in the appearances of adult males or females.  The distinguishing feature of this little bird is the rounded body and head, with a short bill.  I have found it particularly challenging to photograph them on a cloudy day, because their black caps make it difficult to see and focus on their eyes.  I am yet to get a shot that I'm completely excited about.  And they also peck like woodpeckers!  Read on to find out why.

It's very interesting to stand and watch their acrobatics, as these are really hyperactive birds.  And if you aren't focussed, you'd miss seeing them hiding in the higher parts of a tree or getting lost in the dense foliage.

One of the many interesting facts I'd read about them (and remember!) was that other migratory birds like nuthatches, woodpeckers and kinglets flock with them and they heed the chickadees' warning calls of alarm even if they don't hear or have their own alarm calls.  Saying that, it now explains how I have often spotted nuthatches very close to where I've spotted chickadees.

Another interesting thing is that they hide their food in cavities in the trees, and they come back for it later and peck into the cavities to retrieve their hidden treasure.  They have a fantastic memory and remember exactly where they hid their food.  They can hide food in multiple places and remember exactly where to come back for them!  I could do with that kind of memory - it would really help me when I'm looking for misplaced documents, keys, or even my glasses!

I guess this chickadee was looking for its food in the image below.