Book 31, Question 80 · Video
How can a chickadee’s call tell how dangerous a threat is?
The black-capped chickadee’s famous call says “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.” Scientists discovered that the bird adds more “dee” notes when the danger is a small, quick hunter that is harder to escape from. A big, slower bird triggers fewer “dees.” Other birds nearby listen and understand how serious the danger is. It is a code with real information packed into a few notes.
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What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. How can a chickadee’s call tell how dangerous a threat is?
The Big Idea
Chickadees have a secret code! Their call tells how dangerous a threat is. How does it work?
Chick-a-dee
Step one: Chick-a-dee. The black-capped chickadee's famous call sounds like chick-a-dee-dee-dee. It's how the bird gets its name.
More Dees
Step two: More Dees. Scientists discovered that the bird adds more dee notes when the threat is a small, quick hunter that's hard to escape. A big, slower bird gets fewer dees.
Others Listen
Step three: Others Listen. Other birds nearby listen and understand how serious the danger is. It's a code with real information packed into a few notes.
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look! Chick-a-dee. Count matters. More dees. Fewer dees.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Chickadees can add more than ten dee notes in an alarm. Other birds understand the code. More dees means more danger. The chickadee's name comes from its call.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Make a clap code for your family. One clap means time to eat. Two claps mean time to go. Three claps mean time to clean up. Can everyone learn it?
Outro
A chickadee's chick-a-dee call is a code. It adds more dee notes when the danger is a small, quick hunter and fewer for a big, slow bird, and other birds nearby understand the message. Science is amazing! Keep asking questions! The more you look around, the more wonders you will find, so keep your eyes open! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!