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Also see Nest ID Matrix (contents) and Egg ID Matrix (color, spots, etc.)
To see other cavity nester bios/photos:
Also see chart to help ID nests by construction material.
![]() Nest Description: Downy nest with moss base, topped with fur and soft plant fibers. Female may cover eggs with moss/fur when leaving the box. Very thin-shelled white/cream eggs with light brown/reddish speckles, dots or blotches, little or no gloss, spots may be concentrated more on the wide end of the egg. More about chickadees biology, nesting behavior and timetable. |
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![]() Chickadee nests can be confused with Tufted Titmouse nests, especially in the early stages of construction. |
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![]() The box is in a wooded area with no wren guard. The nest and eggs were removed two days later by a House Wren. |
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Notice how much more “fluff” is in the nest above. Photo by Bet Zimmerman of CT | ||
![]() The floor size on this nestbox is 4″ x 4″ so that the nestcup can be estimated to be about 2″ diameter. The moss base is about 1″ to 1.5″ thick. 1/2″ of pine shavings were placed under the moss base to entice Chickadees to nest. Most of the shavings were ‘excavated’ by the Chickadees. The fur lining is dog fur put in a suet cage about 20 feet away from the nestbox. At 8 days, the nestling was observed reaching for its preening gland and going through the motions of preening, even though it barely had feathers. |
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![]() Chickadees have also been known to nest in rotted wooden fence posts and open stumps. See photos. |
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![]() The fur from Linda’s golden retriever was used. She was surprised at how quickly the nest was constructed. They can make a nest in 3-4 days. See All About Chickadees. |
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The student of Nature wonders the more and is astonished the less, the more conversant he becomes with her operations; but of all the perennial miracles she offers to his inspection, perhaps the most worthy of admiration is the development of a plant or of an animal from its embryo.
-Thomas Henry Huxley, British biologist and educator. Reflection #54, Aphorisms and Reflections, selected by Henrietta A. Huxley, Macmillan, 1907.