Sex identification in Black-capped Chickadees

Abstract

At the UWM Field Station we have been banding chickadees since 1965, and color banding since 1967. Since 1970, I have conducted an intensive study of the population ecology of this species involving observations of the winter flock organization, dominance orders in flocks, territorial behavior in spring and summer, nesting success, dispersal of fledged young and survival of young from summer to winter. The objective is to understand how the chickadee population is regulated. The population occupies 750 acres of upland forests and bog forests and, at any one time, consists of 200-300 birds, virtually all color-banded for individual recognition. M.S. and R.W. Ficken and many students have also been using this population for detailed study of behavior and vocalizations.