Chickadees In Winter. These little birds keep us company through the long Adirondack Winters. Their social behavior and physiological adaptations are a natural wonder. Chickadee social behavior . Winter feeding, metabolism .
Chickadees have a complex social system with two extremes.
Non-breeding flocks form in late Summer after the young have dispersed, and remain together until the start of the next breeding season. A flock usually forms around a dominant pair that has just finished a successful brood. The flock contains six to ten birds, some juveniles, some paired adults, and some single adults. These winter flocks often include other species. The flock establishes a feeding territory which it defends against neighboring flocks.