Black Capped Chickadee Facts

Bird Call

Black Capped Chickadees are known for their ‘chick-a-dee-ee-ee’ calls, but the calls of other chickadees, like the Carolina chickadee, may confuse human listeners.

Color Pattern

Black Capped chickadees have a black feathers on top of their head as well as under their beak and down their neck. They have white streaks on each side of their face. Black Capped chickadees have gray backs and their underbellies can be white or light brown.

Behavior

Black Capped chickadees are very curious. If you place bird seed in your hand they will eat right out of your hand! Black Capped chickadees enjoy showing off their acrobatic skills by hanging upside down on tree branches and bird feeders.

Habitat

Black Capped chickadees can be found across the northern half of North America. A chickadee’s range in the north extends to the southern edge of Canada’s Northwest Territories and the Yukon, and the southern half of Alaska, and they inhabit the northern Half of the United States.

Backyard Feeding Tips

During the Summer months Black Capped chickadees enjoy eating insects, especially caterpillars. They will also catch flying insects in mid air. During the Winter months a Black Capped chickadee will eat berries, seeds and nuts. They especially enjoy munching on black oil sunflower seeds. Black capped chickadees enjoy feeding in your backyard and are much more tolerant of humans.

Did you know?

The Black Capped chickadee is the state bird of Maine and Massachusetts.