Black-capped Chickadees who live in different geographical regions show variations in their singing. For example, Chickadees who live on islands off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, MA, show different patterns in their songs than birds who live on the mainland. These changes may be explained by their isolation from other birds of the same species.

Sketch by artist Nora Prindle.

[Edited by Isabelle McDonald]

Reference: Kroodsma, D. E., Byers, B. E., Hill, C., Farrington, J., Gill, F. B., Stoddard, P. K., & Wilda, K. (1999, April). Geographic Variation in Black-Capped Chickadee Songs and Singing Behavior. The Auk, 116(2), 387–402. https://doi.org/10.2307/4089373