American State Birds - Click on a bird to learn more
 

Black-capped Chickadee

State bird of: Maine, Massachusetts

Description

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.

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.
 

Diet
Chickadees eat insects and seeds.
 

Range and Habitat
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.

Status
The black-capped chickadee is common.