Why Chickadees Need Caterpillars
You may see chickadees coming to your bird feeder to snack on safflower seeds or peanuts, but in the first few weeks of life young chickadees only want one thing: caterpillars. Once hatched there are 6-8 hungry mouths to feed and caterpillars contain all of the nutrients and protein the baby chickadees need.
Through extensive observation, Dr. Doug Tallamy estimates that every day a pair of chickadees delivers 390 to 570 caterpillars to their hungry babies. Chickadees stay in the nest for approximately 16 days, so Tallamy determined that it takes between 6240 to 9120 caterpillars to raise a full nest.
How can you support nesting chickadees? Incorporate native plants into your garden. Many caterpillars are picky eaters and can only feed on the specific plants they evolved with. Native oaks support 532 different caterpillar species. Also try native birches or maples, or something smaller such as Dogwoods, Meadowsweet or Asters. Be sure to plant a variety. To learn more about plants that support breeding birds check out CVC’s Native Plant List for Breeding Birds.