 Canadians' constant winter companion, the tiny and curious Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is named for its familiar chick-a-dee-dee-dee call. Although the call may sound simple, it is used in surprisingly complicated ways as the chickadee combines sound elements to send distinct messages to other birds about food locations,group movements and predators.
In fact, researchers can directly correlate the number of "dees" at the end of a call to the threat level posed by a predator. In addition to this basic vocabulary, male chickadees have their own special nesting season song and are known to serenade their partners with a sunrise ditty that can last up to an hour.
The Black-capped Chickadee is an expert feeder known for it's ability to effectively cache stores of seeds, nuts, berries and other foods for the long winter in dozens of locations, a vital habit
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for northern birds. Although this hoarding diligence is impressive, it is the near-perfect accuracy of the chickadee's memory that makes it exceptional. Some chickadees able to remember the location of their food hoards for up to a month. The chickadee also eats insects, their eggs and larvae, performing a considerable service for the boreal forests as an important pest exterminator.
This 25¢ coin is made of nickel plated steel and measures 35 millimetres in diameter. Designed by Canadian artist Arnold Nogy, the coin showcases a Black-capped Chickadee perched on a branch in a pine tree. It's obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
Mint, in a presentation case.
$ 29.95 CDN
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