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Black Capped Chickadee

Black capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla
Black-capped Chickadee

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Description:

  • Size: 5 to 6 inches (12-15 cm)
  • Wingspan: 6 to 8 inches (16-21 cm)
  • Weight: .32 to .49 ounces (9-14 g)

This is a small, short-billed bird. It has a black cap, black bib and white cheeks.

Diet:

This cute little bird moves acrobatically through tree branches in search of insects. They will also eat some berries. They are easily attracted to wild bird feeders. Chickadees favor black oil sunflower seeds, which they will hold in their feet to crack open.

Sex Differences:

Males and females look alike.

Nesting:

The Black capped Chickadee is a cavity nester. Will use moss and wood chips to construct their nest in a natural cavity or rotten wood. Will nest in birdhouses and nest boxes . The clutch size is normally 6 to 8 eggs with a 12-day incubation period.

Range:

Black capped Chickadee
Black capped Chickadee

A Few Things You Probably Didn't Know:

  • Chickadees will hide seeds for later recovery. Items are hidden in different locations requiring a bird to remember thousands of hiding places.
  • Males and females form large flocks in the winter. The flocks disperse into pairs during breeding season.
  • These little balls of energy can be coaxed into feeding from your hands.


Click here for information on other backyard birds.

The Chickadee is the Maine State Bird.

The Chickadee is the Massachusetts State Bird.

Click here for more information on how to attract many other wild birds.

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Please tell us about the Black capped Chickadee visiting your feeders.

Black capped Chickadees are one of the cutest birds to visit our backyard feeders. Unfortunately not everyone gets to see them. If you are fortunate enough to see them in your yard please tell us about them.

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What Other Visitors Have Said

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snow white  Not rated yet
We have a log home in Northern Maine and we get a lot of birds to our 1 feeder. Mostly Black capped Chickadees , but a lot of other birds also including ...

Black Capped Chickadee in Mississauga Ontario Canada  Not rated yet
July 15th 2009 forward Black Capped Chickadee seems to vist the Finch Feeder (Tubular about 13" long and 4" in diameter with 4 port holes made of ...

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