Description/Habitat: The Black Capped Chickadee is a common bird of northern
boreal forests, mixed woodlands, parks, and neighborhoods.
The four and a half inch Black-Capped Chickadee
has a black cap and throat, a white face, gray wings,
back, and tail, and buff colored underparts with
a hint of beige under the wing.
Range/Diet: The Black Capped Chickadee is found throughout the
northern half of North America. Some chickadees
are year-round residents and do not migrate, others
may migrate short distances to take advantage of
fully stocked bird feeders. In the United States,
Black Capped Chickadees may breed south to parts
of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In southern locales,
the nearly identical Carolina Chickadee replaces
the Black Capped. In the winter, Black Capped Chickadees
are common visitors to gardens and backyard feeders
throughout most of the country. Black Capped Chickadees
eat insects and seeds. Sunflower seeds in the winter
will almost surely attract them to your yard.
Behavior/Song: Black-Capped
Chickadees are among the most endearing of common
winter birds. Easily approachable, the Black
Capped Chickadee can even be enticed to take
seeds out a person's hand! Black Capped Chickadees
may occur in loose flocks of other chickadees,
Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers, nuthatches,
Brown Creepers, kinglets, and winter warblers.
Chickadees are among the more loquacious of the
winter birds, and their familiar "chicka..dee-dee-dee" call
can be heard throughout the year.
