Black-capped Chickadee

The Black-capped Chickadee is one of the friendliest birds in our garden.

Latin name: Poecile atricapilla

Length, wingspan: 5.25″, 8″

What they eat: Insects, seeds (esp. sunflowers), berries, suet

Plants that attract: Deciduous and coniferous trees, dense shrubs, fruit-bearing shrubs, flower seedheads

Where they nest: Tree cavities, nest boxes (4″ sq., 1-1/4″ entrance hole)

My observations: Out of all the birds that visit our garden, I have to say the Black-capped Chickadee is just adorable. They are small and have very round bodies, compared to that of Mountain Chickadees which are a little more streamlined. Their most common call is a two-tone whistle (a high note to a lower note).

Black-caps have a larger, darker black “cap” on top of their heads. It contrasts beautifully with the pristine white of the rest of their head feathers. Their breast feathers are white to cream in color. These little guys are very industrious, flying to sunflower-filled feeders. They quickly snatch one, then fly off to a perch to bash open the hulls. I often have a difficult time getting decent photos of them since they’re constantly on the move. They are very tame, though, and will practically land on you while you’re trying to fill a bird feeder! That’s a young Black-capped Chickadee in the photo to the left.

For more details about these charming chickadees, go to Cornell’s All About Birds page.

In this video, watch as an adult feeds its young:

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