CAROLINA CHICKADEE 347 



A constant habit of this bird is to build up one side of the nest higher 

 than the other, thus making a flap, which is used to cover the eggs when 

 the parent is away. 



Both sexes take turns in incubating. 



Dickey, in describing a nest in a sugar-maple fence post says : "Over 

 a series of at least 15 c.onsecutive seasons a pair of birds bred annually 

 at this habitat." 



Eggs. — [Author's note: The Carolina chickadee lays five to eight 

 eggs; six seems to be the commonest number. These are practically 

 indistinguishable from the eggs of the black-capped chickadee, with 

 similar variations. They are white, more or less unevenly marked with 

 fine dots, spots or small blotches of shades of reddish brown. Often 

 the spots are concentrated about the larger end. The measurements of 

 50 eggs average 14.8 by 11.5 millimeters; the eggs showing the four 

 extremes measure 15.9 by 11.8, 15.7 by 12.4, and 12.7 by 10.4 milli- 

 meters.] 



Young. — According to Dickey, "the period of incubation is exactly 

 11 days." 



The same observer thus describes a newly hatched bird: "Length 

 when spread out 6/8 of an inch. Color a rich pinkish white, say salmon 

 hue. There were mere cilia of gray down on the head, back of wing 

 stumps, lower back or rump. The conspicuous eyeballs slate blue, meas. 

 3 mm. diameter. Leg length 7/16 of an inch. Wing stumps y% in. 

 long, 1/16 in. wide. Bill ]/% in. long; ^ in. wide at base; a light horn 

 color. * * * It was revealed that they remain inside nests exactly 17 

 days. They are showy at that stage ; well coated with plumage that 

 resembles closely that of the adults, mouse-gray coats and black heads. 

 They are animated enough to snap at and grasp one's fingers." 



Plumages. — [Author's note: The plumages and molts in this 

 chickadee parallel those of the black-capped chickadee. The young bird 

 leaves the nest in practically full juvenal plumage, but with short wings 

 and tail. In this plumage it is much like the adult, showing the dis- 

 tinctive wing edgings, but the black of the head and throat is duller, 

 and the whole plumage is softer. A partial postjuvenal molt occurs in 

 summer, involving the contour plumage and the wing c.overts, but not 

 the rest of the wings or the tail ; this produces a first winter plumage, 

 which is practically adult. Adults have a complete postnuptial molt in 

 summer, but apparently no spring molt ; the wash of pale pinkish buff on 

 the flanks, and to a lesser extent on the back, characteristic of the fall 

 plumage, disappears by wear and fading before nesting time, producing 

 a grayer bird.] 



Food. — Howell (1932) writes: "The food of this species was studied 



