Library #13 · A Backyard · Wave 2

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus · Paridae

Says its name — chick-a-dee-dee-dee — and may take seed from a calm hand.

At a glance

Size: 4.7–5.9 in
Wingspan: 6.3–8.3 in
Habitat: Deciduous and mixed woods, feeders
Diet: Insects, seeds, suet; caches food for winter

Range: Northern U.S., Canada, Alaska

Nesting: Excavates or uses a cavity; nest of moss and fur.

Coloring pose idea: On birch branch with seed in bill

Hear this bird

General call / song: Chick-a-dee-dee-dee contact/alarm; fee-bee whistle song.

Mating / display: Male’s fee-bee song in spring; soft gargles between pair at the nest cavity.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Black cap and bib, white cheeks, soft gray back, buffy sides.
Tiny and acrobatic; often hangs upside down.
Song is a clear two- or three-note whistle (fee-bee).

Behavior

Caches thousands of seeds and remembers locations.
Nuclear member of mixed winter flocks.
Dee notes increase when danger is higher.

Fun facts

Brain neurons for spatial memory renew seasonally.
One of the most beloved feeder birds in the north.
Will investigate almost any new sound in their territory.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.