Black-capped chickadees are year-round residents of Massachusetts that display complex behavioral and social systems in order to maximize their chances of survival through the harsh winter months. To do this they are able to differentiate between a wide range of vocalizations with a wide range of syllables (Grava et al., 2011). Since they do not seek refuge from the weather by migrating like many other Massachusetts residents, they must compensate with other behavioral mechanisms and join multi-species flocks. One such behavior that constantly grabs the interest of researchers is mobbing. Chickadees, among other birds, will group together in an attempt to ward off predators by repeatedly attacking and chasing off the threat. Communication is an essential part of this display, as chickadees must be highly responsive to the call and close enough to hear the call from others.
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