Chickadees Research Paper

Many different animals develop different strategic foraging behaviours to survive the winter months. The black-capped chickadees (Parus atricapillus) are a songbird that can be observed throughout North America and remain year round even during the cold winters (Templeton, Greene, & Davis, 2005, 1935). During the winter the chickadees form an average flock size of about six to eight, but this number can vary (Templeton, Greene, & Davis, 2005, 1935). In the flock there is a social hierarchy and the dominant individual demonstrates certain behaviours such as vocalizing, bluffs threat, chasing, displacement or fighting to state its dominance (Barkan, 1990, p. 393, Hartzler, 1970, p. 429; Odum, 1942, p. 521). Dominance in a black-capped chickadee is observed when one individual known as a subordinate submits to the dominant individual that is perceived to be more prevailing in …show more content…
393). The black-capped chickadees develop an increased metabolic rate due to the environmental conditions and all their energy is used to finding food (Barkan, 1990, p. 393; Odum, 1942, p.513). Black-capped chickadees are only able to store a restricted amount of energy and therefore if they are unable to find food within 24 to 48 hours they can die of starvation (Barkan, 1990, p. 393). The restricted amount of energy black-capped chickadees can store is due to an adaptive fat regulation hypothesis that is a balancing relationship between predation and starvation (Rogers, 2008, p. 29). If the black-capped chickadees are able to store more energy by increasing its fat content, it becomes a slower flyer and makes it easier for predation (Rogers, 2008, p. 29). The benefits of the adaptive fat regulation outweigh the costs, which allow the black-capped chickadees a higher rate of survival during the winter months (Rogers, 2008, p.