Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Titmice and Chickadees (Paridae)

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Bushes, shrubs, and thickets

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

White with red brown markings

Number of Eggs:

2 - 6

Incubation Days:

11 - 13

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with vegation, moss, feathers, hair, and insect cocoons.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

Overview

Black-capped Chickadee: Medium-sized, stocky chickadee with pale gray upperparts and breast and pale olive-brown underparts. The black cap and bib and white cheeks are conspicuous. Black bill is short and thin. Wings are dark with broad white edges on feathers. State bird of Maine and Massachusetts.

Range and Habitat

Black-capped Chickadee: Breeds from Alaska to Newfoundland, south to northern California, northern New Mexico, Missouri, and northern New Jersey; spends winters south to Maryland. Inhabits deciduous and mixed forests and open woodlands; often occurs in suburban areas during winter.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-capped Chickadee: Five to ten white eggs with red brown markings are laid in a nest lined with vegetation, moss, feathers, hair, and insect cocoons, and usually built 4 to 40 feet above the ground in a tree, snag, or nest box. Incubation ranges from 11 to 13 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-capped Chickadee: Eats insects and insect eggs, conifer seeds, bayberries, and other fruits. Forages among twigs, branches, and under bark; often clings upside down.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed

Vocalization

Black-capped Chickadee: Song is a drawn-out "check-a-dee-dee-dee." Call is a clear, fluted "fee-bee" or "fee-bee-be."

Similar Species

Black-capped Chickadee: Carolina Chickadee is smaller, has shorter tail, and lacks broad white edges on wings. Boreal Chickadee has gray-brown back and sides and hoarser song.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-capped Chickadee

● Song: "chick-a-dee-dee-dee", "fee-bee", "fee-bee-be"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-capped Chickadee: Eats insects and insect eggs, conifer seeds, bayberries, and other fruits. Forages among twigs, branches, and under bark; often clings upside down.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-capped Chickadee: Five to ten white eggs with red brown markings are laid in a nest lined with vegetation, moss, feathers, hair, and insect cocoons, and usually built 4 to 40 feet above the ground in a tree, snag, or nest box. Incubation ranges from 11 to 13 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black-capped Chickadee: Carolina Chickadee is smaller, has shorter tail, and lacks broad white edges on wings. Boreal Chickadee has gray-brown back and sides and hoarser song.

Flight Pattern

Slow flitting short flights with rapid wing beats., On longer flights often folds wings to sides after several quick shallow strokes before repeating.

● Range & Habitat: Black-capped Chickadee: Breeds from Alaska to Newfoundland, south to northern California, northern New Mexico, Missouri, and northern New Jersey; spends winters south to Maryland. Inhabits deciduous and mixed forests and open woodlands; often occurs in suburban areas during winter.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^Population

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America