Date: 12/26/25 4:40 pm From: KC <deedemail...> Subject: [NHBirds] B-c Chickadee Spring Song
I heard a B-c Chickadee singing its Hey Sweetie "spring song" today. ~in
Derry
*From Journey North:*
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!"
<https://journeynorth.org/jnorth/sounds/B-cChickadeeSongWaveform.wav> 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.
*Birdsong expert, Donald Kroodsma, on B-c C's spring song:*
“It is the purest of whistles, this promise of spring.”
