BIRDS OF KANSAS 45 



III. CHICKADEE. 



Parus atricapillus (LiNN.). 



Resident ; . abundant in the eastern part of the State ; 

 common to the middle portion; rare westward. Begin 

 laying early in April. 



HABITAT. Eastern North America; west to the edge 

 of the Great Plains; south into the northern borders of 

 the Indian Territory and southern Missouri, but, east of 

 the Mississippi river, rarely south of latitude 40. Resi- 

 dent throughout their range. 



Iris dark brown; bill, feet and claws black; legs slate 

 brown. 



The natural home of these sprightly little birds is within 

 the woodlands, but they often frequent orchards and gar- 

 dens, and in severe winter weather, when the snow lies 

 upon the branches of the trees and fills the crevices in the 

 bark, they visit the dooryards to pick up the scattered 

 ci-umbs, and if a piece of fresh meat is hung up in a 

 tree or upon the side of an outbuilding, they will come 

 daily to pick off frozen bits, until the weather moderates 

 and melts the snow and ice that covered the eggs, larva, 

 etc., upon which they are accustomed to feed. The birds 

 are very social and move about in small flocks, a happy 

 group chatting away, and " merrily singing their Chick- 

 a-dee-dee." 



In the early mating season they have a loud, clear, 

 whistling song, " Peto," uttered at short intervals, and 

 various quaint, chatty call notes. Graceful little fellows ! 

 that fly from tree to tree and actively search the branches, 

 often swinging feet uppermost from the ends of slender 



