Chickadees and aspen catkins (1 Viewer)

[cavan wood]

Every spring I see chickadees among the freshly opened catkins in the trembling aspen trees. They are clearly eating something, as they will take the catkin to a perch and hold it with their feet while they pull it apart.

What exactly are they finding to eat in there?

Scott

 

[KnockerNorton]

Nectar. Most Poecile love it, and are as addicted to early catkins as your chickadees.

 

[prairiemerlin]

I agree that they are going after the nectar. Yesterday I was helping out at a banding station, and we caught a chickadee that appeared to have a greenish crown. The greenish coloration was caused by getting pollen on its feathers while it was foraging in a willow tree with catkins.

 

[cavan wood]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if it was that or perhaps small insects that were also attracted. Could it be the pollen itself they are after? These are wind pollinated species, so I wonder how much nectar they would have.

Scott

 

[KnockerNorton]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if it was that or perhaps small insects that were also attracted. Could it be the pollen itself they are after? These are wind pollinated species, so I wonder how much nectar they would have.

Scott

Good point, it may be the pollen too. They certainly go for nectar in insect-pollinated shrub flowers, such as blackthorn and hawthorn.

 

[Brian Stone]

Quite a number of insects, including butterflies, moths and weevils, feed inside Aspen catkins in early larval stages. These would become readily available to birds as the flowers open.

 

[KnockerNorton]

I feel a crop dissection trial coming on...