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95-466: Their name reputedly comes from the fact that their calls make a distinctive "chick-a-dee-dee-dee", though their normal call is actually "fee-bee," and the "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call is an alarm call. The number of "dees" depends on the predator. The chickadee (specifically the black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus , formerly Parus atricapillus ) is the official bird for the US state of Massachusetts ,

190-440: A proper noun such as the name of a person or place. Similarly, both parts are italicized in normal text (or underlined in handwriting). Thus the binomial name of the annual phlox (named after botanist Thomas Drummond ) is now written as Phlox drummondii . Often, after a species name is introduced in a text, the generic name is abbreviated to the first letter in subsequent mentions (e.g., P. drummondii ). In scientific works,

285-496: A capacity for torpor is not very common in birds. Other bird species capable of torpor include the common swift ( Apus apus ), the common poor-will ( Phalaenoptilus nuttallii ), the lesser nighthawk ( Chordeiles acutipennis ), and various species of hummingbirds . During the winter, chickadees often flock together. Many other species of birds – including titmice , nuthatches , and warblers – can often be found foraging in these flocks. Mixed flocks stay together because

380-439: A chickadee makes the alarm call. Red-breasted nuthatch have even been observed reacting more strongly to higher-threat alarm calls, indicating some understanding of their syntax. Black-capped chickadees make a number of other calls and sounds, such as a gargle noise usually used by males to indicate a threat of attacking another male, often when feeding. This call is also used in sexual contexts. Black-capped chickadees learn

475-417: A cylindric spike and a terete scape "), which we know today as Plantago media . Such "polynomial names" may sometimes look like binomials, but are significantly different. For example, Gerard's herbal (as amended by Johnson) describes various kinds of spiderwort: "The first is called Phalangium ramosum , Branched Spiderwort; the second, Phalangium non ramosum , Unbranched Spiderwort. The other ...

570-427: A distinct white stripe above their eyes, and boreal chickadees have a brown cap as opposed to the black cap of the black-capped chickadee. The vocalizations of the black-capped chickadee are highly complex, with 16 distinct types of vocalizations being used to convey an array of information. These vocalizations are likely an evolutionary adaptation to their habitat; they live and feed in dense vegetation, and even when

665-428: A larger bib. They can also be distinguished based on a combination of weight and tail length. Tarsus length does not significantly differentiate sexes. Males have a wing length of 63.5–67.5 mm (2.50–2.66 in), a tail length of 58–63 mm (2.3–2.5 in), a bill length of 8–9.5 mm (0.31–0.37 in), and a tarsus length of 16–17 mm (0.63–0.67 in). Females are on average slightly smaller, with

760-446: A minute. At this time, they learn to produce such sounds by listening to their parents and siblings. Three chickadee populations were observed at three different sites over 8 years, and all of them produced vocalizations that were very similar to one another. Strings of juvenile sub- gargles are almost perfectly continuous and both low and unstable in frequency, yet lacking multiple syllables. When their vocal abilities are fully developed,

855-401: A nomenclature code, it is possible for homonyms (two or more species sharing the same genus name) to happen, and even the same binomial if they occur in different kingdoms. At least 1,258 instances of genus name duplication occur (mainly between zoology and botany). Nomenclature (including binomial nomenclature) is not the same as classification, although the two are related. Classification is

950-481: A number of sources, of which Latin is only one. These include: The first part of the name, which identifies the genus, must be a word that can be treated as a Latin singular noun in the nominative case . It must be unique within the purview of each nomenclatural code , but can be repeated between them. Thus Huia recurvata is an extinct species of plant, found as fossils in Yunnan , China, whereas Huia masonii

1045-423: A paper describing the phylogeny of small benthic freshwater fish called darters, five undescribed putative species (Ozark, Sheltowee, Wildcat, Ihiyo, and Mamequit darters), notable for brightly colored nuptial males with distinctive color patterns, were referred to as " Etheostoma cf. spectabile " because they had been viewed as related to, but distinct from, Etheostoma spectabile (orangethroat darter). This view

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1140-410: A personal name is to be converted to a specific epithet. In particular, names ending in a consonant (but not "er") are treated as first being converted into Latin by adding "-ius" (for a man) or "-ia" (for a woman), and then being made genitive (i.e. meaning "of that person or persons"). This produces specific epithets like lecardii for Lecard (male), wilsoniae for Wilson (female), and brauniarum for

1235-551: A single genus. The full binomial name must be unique within each code. From the early 19th century onwards it became ever more apparent that a body of rules was necessary to govern scientific names. In the course of time these became nomenclature codes . The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN ) governs the naming of animals, the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants ( ICNafp ) that of plants (including cyanobacteria ), and

1330-593: A species retains its binomial name if it is moved from one family to another or from one order to another, unless it better fits a different genus in the same or different family, or it is split from its old genus and placed in a newly created genus. The independence is only partial since the names of families and other higher taxa are usually based on genera. Taxonomy includes both nomenclature and classification. Its first stages (sometimes called " alpha taxonomy ") are concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. Binomial nomenclature

1425-775: A specimen collected in Canada. He used the French name La mésange a tête noire de Canada and the Latin Parus Canadensis Atricapillus . Although Brisson gave it Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature . In 1766, Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus published the 12th edition of his Systema Naturae , which included 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these

1520-451: A speed around 20 km/h (12 mph). They tend to avoid flying through large open areas and will instead be found flying along tree-lines or through forests. Chickadees molt once a year, starting in July or August and usually taking two to three months. They do not molt in the spring prior to breeding. The postjuvenal molt at the end of the first summer of life is partial, involving only

1615-495: A stable frequency is produced and a variety of syllables is heard that vary in length. Other calls which have been noted include a "broken dee ", "variable see ", hiss , snarl twitter , "high zee ", and tseet . Some of these calls are used during breeding to attract a mate or reinforce a pair bond, such as the "broken dee " and "variable see ". Others, such as the snarl and twitter , are used territorially. Black-capped chickadees in an environment with ambient noise at

1710-698: A very cold winter are twice as likely to survive than those without access to this supplemental food; months with severe weather when the temperature drops below −18 °C (0 °F) for more than five days make the primary difference between the survival rates with and without feeders. In Pennsylvania on the southern edge of their range, with milder winters, monitoring of populations with and without feeders suggests that feeders in milder weather influence movements of chickadees but not their actual survival. On cold winter nights, these birds can reduce their body temperature by as much as 12 °C (from their normal temperature of about 42 °C) to conserve energy. Such

1805-476: A warning call about a pygmy owl —a prime threat to chickadees—contained 23 dee s. The Carolina chickadee makes a similar call, which is faster and higher-pitched. Other species have also been observed making use of these chick-a-dee-dee-dee alarm calls. During the non-breeding season, mixed species flocks may form to help with foraging and predator avoidance, and may include nuthatches, woodpeckers, kinglets, and vireos among others. These species will react when

1900-425: A wing length of 60.5–66.5 mm (2.38–2.62 in), a tail length of 56.3–63 mm (2.22–2.48 in), a bill length of 9–9.5 mm (0.35–0.37 in), and a tarsus length of 16–17 mm (0.63–0.67 in). Both sexes weigh 10–14 g (0.35–0.49 oz). Juveniles are visually similar to adults but with fluffier plumage. Although range can generally be used to separate them, the black-capped chickadee

1995-403: Is Anthus hodgsoni berezowskii . Informally, in some circumstances, a form may be appended. For example Harmonia axyridis f. spectabilis is the harlequin ladybird in its black or melanic forms having four large orange or red spots. In botany, there are many ranks below species and although the name itself is written in three parts, a "connecting term" (not part of the name) is needed to show

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2090-409: Is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms , although they can be based on words from other languages. Such a name is called a binomial name (which may be shortened to just "binomial"), a binomen , binominal name , or a scientific name ; more informally it is also historically called a Latin name . In

2185-537: Is a small, nonmigratory, North American passerine bird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. It is a member of the Paridae family , also known as tits. It has a distinct black cap on its head, a black bib underneath, and white cheeks. It has a white belly, buff sides, and grey wings, back, and tail. The bird is well known for its vocalizations, including its fee-bee call and its chick-a-dee-dee-dee call, from which it derives its name. The black-capped chickadee

2280-527: Is a social bird and forms strict dominance hierarchies within its flock. During the winter, these flocks include other bird species. It has the ability to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights, allowing it to conserve energy. Black-capped chickadees build nests in tree cavities, with the nesting season starting in late April and lasting until late June. They lay on average 6–8 eggs, which hatch after 11–14 days. Juveniles fledge 12–16 days after hatching. The population of black-capped chickadees

2375-518: Is a species of frog found in Java , Indonesia. The second part of the name, which identifies the species within the genus, is also treated grammatically as a Latin word. It can have one of a number of forms: Whereas the first part of a binomial name must be unique within the purview of each nomenclatural code, the second part is quite commonly used in two or more genera (as is shown by examples of hodgsonii above), but cannot be used more than once within

2470-466: Is aptly termed Phalangium Ephemerum Virginianum , Soon-Fading Spiderwort of Virginia". The Latin phrases are short descriptions, rather than identifying labels. The Bauhins , in particular Caspar Bauhin (1560–1624), took some important steps towards the binomial system by pruning the Latin descriptions, in many cases to two words. The adoption by biologists of a system of strictly binomial nomenclature

2565-461: Is due to Swedish botanist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778). It was in Linnaeus's 1753 Species Plantarum that he began consistently using a one-word trivial name ( nomen triviale ) after a generic name (genus name) in a system of binomial nomenclature. Trivial names had already appeared in his Critica Botanica (1737) and Philosophia Botanica (1751). This trivial name is what

2660-462: Is from late April through June, with higher-ranking females nesting before lower ranking ones. Eggs are white, with fine reddish brown dots that are concentrated at the larger end. On average, eggs are 1.52 cm × 1.22 cm ( 5 ⁄ 8  in ×  1 ⁄ 2  in), and there are usually six to eight eggs. Incubation lasts 11–14 days and is by the female only; the male feeds her during this time. If an unusual disturbance occurs at

2755-705: Is more rare. Black-capped chickadees are primarily subject to predation by birds of prey , including owls, hawks, and shrikes. Nest-predation also occurs, primarily by raccoons, squirrels, opossums, and snakes. Nest sites are also sometimes raided by house wrens , who will destroy chickadee eggs in order to reuse the location for their nest. Like many birds, black-capped chickadees are susceptible to West Nile Virus . They are also known to be affected by blood parasites, including those that cause malaria , but particularly high rates of infection have not been detected. Black-capped chickadees are also known to be affected by avian keratin disorder . The black-capped chickadee

2850-614: Is not in sight. (There is also a published code for a different system of biotic nomenclature, which does not use ranks above species, but instead names clades . This is called PhyloCode .) As noted above, there are some differences between the codes in how binomials can be formed; for example the ICZN allows both parts to be the same, while the ICNafp does not. Another difference is in how personal names are used in forming specific names or epithets. The ICNafp sets out precise rules by which

2945-433: Is now known as a specific epithet ( ICNafp ) or specific name ( ICZN ). The Bauhins' genus names were retained in many of these, but the descriptive part was reduced to a single word. Linnaeus's trivial names introduced the important new idea that the function of a name could simply be to give a species a unique label, meaning that the name no longer needed to be descriptive. Both parts could, for example, be derived from

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3040-830: Is referred to by a different name in each part of its range: grey-headed chickadee in North America and Siberian tit in Eurasia. Chickadees are native to North America, where they are very common. In North America, the birds are found from the East Coast to the West Coast, and from Canada to Mexico. Chickadees' preferred habitats include mixed deciduous or coniferous forests, parks, open woods, cottonwood groves, willow thickets, and disturbed areas. Mountain chickadees are food-caching birds. A single bird can hide as many as 80,000 individual seeds, which they retrieve during

3135-431: Is similar to subordinate primates, which feed on novel food more readily than the dominant individuals because they are more used to eating suboptimal and unfamiliar food. No difference is observed in ability to learn novel foraging tasks between dominant and subordinate individuals. Black-capped chickadees start to form breeding pairs in the late fall and into the winter. In the spring, the winter flocks will disperse into

3230-639: Is the chick-a-dee-dee-dee , which gave this bird its name. This simple-sounding call is astonishingly complex. Scientists have been studying it since the mid-1970s. It is produced by both males and females year-round. It has been observed to consist of up to four distinct units—referred to as A, B, C, and D. A, B, and C are variations of the "chick-a" part of the call, and D is the repeated "dee". These can be arranged in different patterns to communicate information about threats from predators and coordination of group movement. These four notes only ever appear in this consecutive order with each preceding note blending into

3325-402: Is the state bird of Maine and Massachusetts and the provincial bird of New Brunswick. In 2022 the black-capped chickadee was named the official bird of Calgary, Alberta . The bird is prominently featured on the standard Maine vehicle registration plate. Binomial nomenclature In taxonomy , binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature ,

3420-614: Is thought to be increasing, and they are considered a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is the state bird of both Massachusetts and Maine in the United States, and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada. In 1760, French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the black-capped chickadee in his book Ornithologie based on

3515-426: Is thus an important part of taxonomy as it is the system by which species are named. Taxonomists are also concerned with classification, including its principles, procedures and rules. A complete binomial name is always treated grammatically as if it were a phrase in the Latin language (hence the common use of the term "Latin name" for a binomial name). However, the two parts of a binomial name can each be derived from

3610-471: Is unknown, it is believed that the hippocampus grows to allow the chickadee to remember its cache locations, and then shrinks as those caches are used up. Foraging behaviour in the winter tends to decrease, primarily being affected by lower temperatures and stronger winds. In parts of the black-capped chickadee's range with very cold winters, such as Minnesota, survival rates are affected by access to supplemental food. Chickadees with access to bird feeders in

3705-436: Is usually followed by the "authority" – a way of designating the scientist(s) who first published the name. The authority is written in slightly different ways in zoology and botany. For names governed by the ICZN the surname is usually written in full together with the date (normally only the year) of publication. One example of author citation of scientific name is: " Amabela Möschler, 1880 ." The ICZN recommends that

3800-670: Is very similar in appearance to the Carolina chickadee . The edges of the wings are somewhat paler than the Carolina chickadee, and the bib of the black-capped chickadee has a "messier" border than the Carolina chickadee. The most reliable way to distinguish the two species is by vocalizations. Black-capped chickadees have a slower, hoarser, two-part song, whereas Carolina chickadees have a three-part song. Black-capped chickadees are also somewhat similar to mountain chickadees and boreal chickadees . Mountain chickadees can be distinguished by

3895-481: Is when several species from the same genus are being listed or discussed in the same paper or report, or the same species is mentioned repeatedly; in which case the genus is written in full when it is first used, but may then be abbreviated to an initial (and a period/full stop). For example, a list of members of the genus Canis might be written as " Canis lupus , C. aureus , C. simensis ". In rare cases, this abbreviated form has spread to more general use; for example,

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3990-435: Is widely distributed throughout North America, ranging from the northern United States to southern Canada and all the way up to Alaska and Yukon . It feeds primarily on insects and seeds, and is known for its ability to cache food for use during the winter. The hippocampus of the black-capped chickadee grows during the caching season, which is believed to help it better remember its cache locations. The black-capped chickadee

4085-427: The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants ( ICNafp or ICN ). Although the general principles underlying binomial nomenclature are common to these two codes, there are some differences in the terminology they use and their particular rules. In modern usage, the first letter of the generic name is always capitalized in writing, while that of the specific epithet is not, even when derived from

4180-487: The International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria ( ICNB ) that of bacteria (including Archaea ). Virus names are governed by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses ( ICTV ), a taxonomic code, which determines taxa as well as names. These codes differ in certain ways, e.g.: Unifying the different codes into a single code, the " BioCode ", has been suggested , although implementation

4275-762: The American Ornithologists' Union moved the black-capped chickadee into this genus in 1998. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the black-capped chickadee is sister to the mountain chickadee ( Poecile gambeli ). The following cladogram shows the relationships between the various chickadee species, a subset of genus Poecile : Grey-headed chickadee ( Poecile cinctus ) Chestnut-backed chickadee ( Poecile rufescens ) Boreal chickadee ( Poecile hudsonicus ) Mexican chickadee ( Poecile sclateri ) Carolina chickadee ( Poecile carolinensis ) Black-capped chickadee ( Poecile atricapillus ) Mountain chickadee ( Poecile gambeli ) Until

4370-464: The ICZN is more protective of the form used by the original author. By tradition, the binomial names of species are usually typeset in italics; for example, Homo sapiens . Generally, the binomial should be printed in a font style different from that used in the normal text; for example, " Several more Homo sapiens fossils were discovered ." When handwritten, a binomial name should be underlined; for example, Homo sapiens . The first part of

4465-488: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the system is also called binominal nomenclature , with an "n" before the "al" in "binominal", which is not a typographic error, meaning "two-name naming system". The first part of the name – the generic name – identifies the genus to which the species belongs, whereas the second part – the specific name or specific epithet – distinguishes

4560-432: The authority for a binomial name is usually given, at least when it is first mentioned, and the year of publication may be specified. The word binomial is composed of two elements: bi- ( Latin prefix meaning 'two') and nomial (the adjective form of nomen , Latin for 'name'). In Medieval Latin, the related word binomium was used to signify one term in a binomial expression in mathematics. In fact,

4655-467: The gargle noise soon after birth and continues to develop it through to adulthood. This noise is among the most complex of the calls; in one population of chickadees, the gargle contained 2 to 9 instances of 14 distinct notes, all sung within half a second. Social learning in particular is largely influential to the development of the gargle . Beginning 30 to 35 days after birth, strings of low-amplitude precursor or sub- gargles are produced for about

4750-465: The "cf." qualifier vary. In paleontology, it is typically used when the identification is not confirmed. For example, " Corvus cf. nasicus " was used to indicate "a fossil bird similar to the Cuban crow but not certainly identified as this species". In molecular systematics papers, "cf." may be used to indicate one or more undescribed species assumed to be related to a described species. For example, in

4845-404: The "original author and date of a name should be cited at least once in each work dealing with the taxon denoted by that name." For names governed by the ICNafp the name is generally reduced to a standard abbreviation and the date omitted. The International Plant Names Index maintains an approved list of botanical author abbreviations. Historically, abbreviations were used in zoology too. When

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4940-491: The Braun sisters. By contrast, the ICZN does not require the intermediate creation of a Latin form of a personal name, allowing the genitive ending to be added directly to the personal name. This explains the difference between the names of the plant Magnolia hodgsonii and the bird Anthus hodgsoni . Furthermore, the ICNafp requires names not published in the form required by the code to be corrected to conform to it, whereas

5035-455: The Canadian province of New Brunswick , and the city of Calgary , Alberta. The chickadee is also the state bird of Maine , but a species has never been specified. A proposed bill in 2019 would have named the black-capped chickadee as the official species for Maine, but was unanimously voted down in committee. The de facto species for Maine remains the black-capped. One holarctic species

5130-551: The Canadian provinces, from British Columbia in the west to the Maritimes and Newfoundland in the east. The distribution continues into the United States, with its range extending to northern California in the south-west, through northern Nevada and New Mexico, continuing through the midwestern United States to New Jersey. It can also be found in the Appalachian Mountains at higher elevations. In British Columbia,

5225-459: The D note has a constant frequency. While not confirmed, one study found evidence of a function behind the C and D notes: the C note is used indicate the location of food, and the D note is used to distinguish between a member of the same species and a potential predator. Neither individual notes nor groups of notes have an equal probability of appearing in the chick-a-dee-dee-dee song. Its syntax form may take on several different structures, but

5320-486: The Latin word binomium may validly refer to either of the epithets in the binomial name, which can equally be referred to as a binomen (pl. binomina ). Prior to the adoption of the modern binomial system of naming species, a scientific name consisted of a generic name combined with a specific name that was from one to several words long. Together they formed a system of polynomial nomenclature. These names had two separate functions. First, to designate or label

5415-547: The bacterium Escherichia coli is often referred to as just E. coli , and Tyrannosaurus rex is perhaps even better known simply as T. rex , these two both often appearing in this form in popular writing even where the full genus name has not already been given. The abbreviation "sp." is used when the actual specific name cannot or need not be specified. The abbreviation "spp." (plural) indicates "several species". These abbreviations are not italicised (or underlined). For example: " Canis sp." means "an unspecified species of

5510-414: The binomial, the genus name, is always written with an initial capital letter. Older sources, particularly botanical works published before the 1950s, used a different convention: if the second part of the name was derived from a proper noun, e.g., the name of a person or place, a capital letter was used. Thus, the modern form Berberis darwinii was written as Berberis Darwinii . A capital was also used when

5605-708: The black-capped chickadee is absent on Vancouver Island , the Gulf Islands , Haida Gwaii , and parts of the Sunshine Coast , where it is replaced by the chestnut-backed chickadee . They are typically most common at elevations below 750 m (2,460 ft), although they have been known to occur at up to 3,200 m (10,500 ft). Black-capped chickadees inhabit wooded areas, including both coniferous and deciduous forests, urban parks, willow thickets, and suburban areas. They do not vary their habitat between breeding and non-breeding seasons, although in

5700-515: The black-capped chickadee population based on the region they inhabit, with those who live in harsher climates (such as Alaska) having larger hippocampi. However, no variation exists between the sexes. The size of the hippocampus within black-capped chickadees also varies throughout the year, being the largest in October, and the smallest in February. While the exact reason for this seasonal change

5795-417: The body feathers and wing coverts. In subsequent years, the postnuptial molt at the end of each reproductive season is always complete, involving all feathers. Molting chickadees are not often seen, preferring to remain silent and hidden from view. During the winter, the species forms flocks through which dominance hierarchies can be easily observed. Dominance hierarchies play an important role in determining

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5890-443: The chickadees call out whenever they find a good source of food. This calling-out forms cohesion for the group, allowing the other birds to find food more efficiently. Black-capped chickadees sleep in thick vegetation or in cavities, usually singly, though they may occasionally roost clumped together. Their flight is slightly undulating with rapid wing beats. Flights are typically short bursts of less than 15 m (50 ft) with

5985-400: The constituent pairs. Black-capped chickadees are largely monogamous during this time, although occasionally males are observed mating with multiple females. Females prefer dominant males, and greater reproductive success is closely related to the higher ranking of the male. The black-capped chickadee nests in tree cavities 1–7 m (3–23 ft) above ground. The pair either excavates

6080-407: The endings used differ between zoology and botany. Ranks below species receive three-part names, conventionally written in italics like the names of species. There are significant differences between the ICZN and the ICNafp . In zoology, the only formal rank below species is subspecies and the name is written simply as three parts (a trinomen). Thus, one of the subspecies of the olive-backed pipit

6175-486: The fat off of dead mammals. Sunflower seeds are readily taken from bird feeders. The birds take a seed in their beak and commonly fly from the feeder to a tree, where they proceed to hammer the seed on a branch to open it. Like many other species in the family Paridae, black-capped chickadees commonly cache food, mostly seeds, but sometimes insects, also. Items are stored singly in various sites such as bark, dead leaves, clusters of conifer needles, or knothole. Memory for

6270-453: The first part of the name of the species is a genus name. In a classification system based on ranks, there are also ways of naming ranks above the level of genus and below the level of species. Ranks above genus (e.g., family, order, class) receive one-part names, which are conventionally not written in italics. Thus, the house sparrow, Passer domesticus , belongs to the family Passeridae . Family names are normally based on genus names, although

6365-446: The flock is close together, individual birds tend to be out of each other's visual range. One of the most recognizable sounds produced, particularly by the males, is the two-note fee-bee song. It is a simple, clear whistle of two notes, identical in rhythm, the first roughly a whole-step above the second. The frequency of their songs typically starts around 400  Hz , and various tones spanning roughly 1 kHz are sung within

6460-513: The genus Canis ", while " Canis spp." means "two or more species of the genus Canis ". (These abbreviations should not be confused with the abbreviations "ssp." (zoology) or "subsp." (botany), plurals "sspp." or "subspp.", referring to one or more subspecies . See trinomen (zoology) and infraspecific name .) The abbreviation " cf. " (i.e., confer in Latin) is used to compare individuals/taxa with known/described species. Conventions for use of

6555-403: The hole together, uses a natural cavity, or reuses an old woodpecker nest. This species will also nest in a nest box . Nest sites are typically chosen by females, but excavation of the cavity is done by both sexes. The nest itself is built by the female only and consists of a base of coarse material such as moss or bark strips, and lining of finer material such as mammal hair. The nesting season

6650-492: The late 1900s, the black-capped chickadee was considered by some to be conspecific with the willow tit of Eurasia and the Carolina chickadee, due to their very similar appearance. A 1989 study demonstrated that the Willow tit and black-capped chickadee were different species; however, the distinction of the Carolina chickadee remained in question until 2005. Nine subspecies are currently recognized. They are presented below in

6745-466: The location of caches can last up to 28 days. Within the first 24 hours, the birds can even remember the relative quality of the stored items. This caching behaviour has led to black-capped chickadees having larger hippocampi compared to other chickadees, who themselves have relatively larger hippocampi compared to other caching birds in the Paridae family. This variation in size also exists within

6840-411: The lower notes are nearly identical but the higher fee notes are omitted, making the black-capped song like bee bay . The males sing the song only in relative isolation from other chickadees (including their mates). In late summer, some young birds sing only a single note. Both sexes sometimes make a faint version of the fee-bee song, and this appears to be used when feeding young. During breeding,

6935-430: The male may make this call to attempt to attract a female. During nesting, this call is used by both sexes to call to their partner when not in sight. Distinguishing males and females based solely on their singing is difficult. A bioacoustic analysis performed on both male and female songs revealed that male fee-bee singing fluctuates more, and the absolute amplitude of both sexes is the same. The most familiar call

7030-504: The name is formed by two nouns in apposition, e.g., Panthera Leo or Centaurea Cyanus . In current usage, the second part is never written with an initial capital. When used with a common name, the scientific name often follows in parentheses, although this varies with publication. For example, "The house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) is decreasing in Europe." The binomial name should generally be written in full. The exception to this

7125-552: The names of people. Thus Gerard's Phalangium ephemerum virginianum became Tradescantia virginiana , where the genus name honoured John Tradescant the Younger , an English botanist and gardener. A bird in the parrot family was named Psittacus alexandri , meaning "Alexander's parrot", after Alexander the Great , whose armies introduced eastern parakeets to Greece. Linnaeus's trivial names were much easier to remember and use than

7220-437: The nest entrance, the incubating female may utter an explosive hiss like that of a snake, a probable adaptation to discourage nest predators. Hatchlings are altricial , emerging featherless with their eyes closed. Nestlings are fed by both sexes, but are brooded by the female only (the male brings food to her during brooding, which she passes on to the young). Young leave the nest 12–16 days after hatching, in great part because

7315-464: The next; however, not all four notes always appear in the call. Like other sounds the chickadee produces, it may be heard in multiple variations. The A and B notes are almost identical to one another in both frequency and duration, though black-capped chickadees possess the ability to quickly notice the difference between these two notes. No such similarity is seen between the C and D notes. The C note fluctuates from low to high then back to low, whereas

7410-495: The ordering of items into groups based on similarities or differences; in biological classification , species are one of the kinds of item to be classified. In principle, the names given to species could be completely independent of their classification. This is not the case for binomial names, since the first part of a binomial is the name of the genus into which the species is placed. Above the rank of genus, binomial nomenclature and classification are partly independent; for example,

7505-422: The original name is changed, e.g., the species is moved to a different genus, both codes use parentheses around the original authority; the ICNafp also requires the person who made the change to be given. In the ICNafp , the original name is then called the basionym . Some examples: Binomial nomenclature, as described here, is a system for naming species. Implicitly, it includes a system for naming genera, since

7600-470: The parallel polynomial names, and eventually replaced them. The value of the binomial nomenclature system derives primarily from its economy, its widespread use, and the uniqueness and stability of names that the Codes of Zoological and Botanical , Bacterial and Viral Nomenclature provide: Binomial nomenclature for species has the effect that when a species is moved from one genus to another, sometimes

7695-632: The parents start presenting food only outside the nest hole. The young are still fed by the parents for several weeks, but are capable of catching food on their own within a week after leaving the nest. Black-capped chickadees usually breed only once a year, but second broods are possible if the first one is lost. First breeding is at one year of age. Maximum recorded lifespan is 12 years, although most live roughly 2.5 years. Black-capped chickadees may interbreed with Carolina chickadees or mountain chickadees where their ranges overlap. Interbreeding with boreal chickadees has also been documented, though it

7790-445: The same frequencies as their songs are able to adjust the frequency of their songs to effectively communicate with the surrounding population. When interacting with other chickadees close by, the males matched their frequencies; however, when the surrounding environment was noisy with other species, the males adapted by increasing the frequency of their songs. Another survey, though, showed that male chickadees sometimes intentionally match

7885-911: The social behaviours among the birds in these flocks. Chickadees with higher social rankings have better access to food during the winter, which leads to them having a better body condition, increased territory size, and higher reproductive success. The hierarchies are linear and stable; once a relationship is established between two birds, it stays the same for many years. In general, older and more experienced birds are dominant over younger ones, and males are dominant over females. Dominant and subordinate members differ in their foraging strategies and risk-taking behaviours. Dominant individuals control access to preferred resources and restrict subordinates to foraging in novel, riskier, or suboptimal environments. A 2011 study demonstrated that this results in subordinate individuals being less cautious approaching novel foods and objects compared to their dominant counterparts. This

7980-411: The song. A decrease of roughly 200 Hz occurs when the first note ( fee ) is sung, and then another decrease around 400 Hz takes place between the end of fee and the beginning of bee . In spite of these multiple changes in frequency, though, anybody listening to the song only hears a pure, high-frequency tone. This is distinguished from the Carolina chickadee's four-note call fee-bee fee-bay ;

8075-589: The species within the genus. For example, modern humans belong to the genus Homo and within this genus to the species Homo sapiens . Tyrannosaurus rex is likely the most widely known binomial. The formal introduction of this system of naming species is credited to Carl Linnaeus , effectively beginning with his work Species Plantarum in 1753. But as early as 1622, Gaspard Bauhin introduced in his book Pinax theatri botanici (English, Illustrated exposition of plants ) containing many names of genera that were later adopted by Linnaeus. Binomial nomenclature

8170-491: The species, and second, to be a diagnosis or description; however, these two goals were eventually found to be incompatible. In a simple genus, containing only two species, it was easy to tell them apart with a one-word genus and a one-word specific name; but as more species were discovered, the names necessarily became longer and unwieldy, for instance, Plantago foliis ovato-lanceolatus pubescentibus, spica cylindrica, scapo tereti ("plantain with pubescent ovate-lanceolate leaves,

8265-483: The specific name or epithet must be changed as well. This may happen because the specific name is already used in the new genus, or to agree in gender with the new genus if the specific epithet is an adjective modifying the genus name. Some biologists have argued for the combination of the genus name and specific epithet into a single unambiguous name, or for the use of uninomials (as used in nomenclature of ranks above species). Because genus names are unique only within

8360-481: The taxonomic order set by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC) The black-capped chickadee has a black cap and "bib" with white cheeks. Its underparts are white with buff-colored flanks. Its back is unstreaked and greenish gray, and the tail and wings are slate gray. It has a black beak and legs, and dark brown irises . Males and females are generally similar, although males have

8455-505: The tones of competing chickadees as a way of showing aggression. Dominant males in a population often compete with lower-ranked males, and singing contests are a way male chickadees decide who gets to mate. When a male loses a contest, particularly a higher-ranking male in the population, he will often have difficulty finding a mate. Black-capped chickadees are non-migratory and can be found throughout much of North America. They range from western Alaska, through southern Yukon and throughout

8550-452: The two most commonly heard are [A][D] and [B][C][D]. Calls containing the D note are most frequently heard. A study of the call showed that the number of dee s indicates the level of threat from nearby predators. In an analysis of over 5,000 alarm calls from chickadees, alarm calls triggered by small, dangerous raptors had a shorter interval between chick and dee and tended to have extra dee s, typically four instead of two. In one case,

8645-456: The winter irregular bird migration and dispersal may occur. Insects (especially caterpillars) form a large part of their diet in summer. The birds hop along tree branches searching for food, sometimes hanging upside down or hovering; they may make short flights to catch insects in the air. Seeds and berries become more important in winter, though insect eggs and pupae are eaten when available. Black-capped chickadees have also been known to eat

8740-538: The winter. Their ability to do so depends on their spatial memory of the locations. Birds that live in harsher conditions, where their ability to remember the location of food is more important, have been found to have better memory abilities, a larger hippocampus , and more neurons than chickadees that live in milder climates where food sources are easier to find without relying on memory. Black-capped chickadee Parus atricapillus Linnaeus, 1766 The black-capped chickadee ( Poecile atricapillus )

8835-428: Was introduced in order to provide succinct, relatively stable and verifiable names that could be used and understood internationally, unlike common names which are usually different in every language. The application of binomial nomenclature is now governed by various internationally agreed codes of rules, of which the two most important are the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN ) for animals and

8930-410: Was supported to varying degrees by DNA analysis. The somewhat informal use of taxa names with qualifying abbreviations is referred to as open nomenclature and it is not subject to strict usage codes. In some contexts, the dagger symbol ("†") may be used before or after the binomial name to indicate that the species is extinct. In scholarly texts, at least the first or main use of the binomial name

9025-587: Was the black-capped chickadee. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Parus atricapillus and cited Brisson's work. The specific epithet atricapillus is Latin for "black-haired" from ater (black) and capillus (hair of the head). Though originally placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggested that separating Poecile more adequately expressed these birds' relationships. The genus Poecile had been introduced by German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829, and

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