Where’s Wildlife · Bird Field Guide
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Pronounced (approx.): PEE-sih-lee at-rih-KAP-il-us
A small, active bird that often travels in flocks and visits feeders.
Three Identification Clues
Black cap and throat patch contrast with broad white cheeks.
Gray wings and back, pale underparts, and buff-colored sides.
A large-looking head, tiny bill, and acrobatic movements among twigs.
Field Photographs
Showing 8 of 9 photographs.
Beyond the first impression
Plumage & Identification
Look beyond the black cap
A rounded head, short bill, and narrow tail create the familiar chickadee outline. Broad white cheeks separate the black crown from the bib. Look for pale edging on the gray wing feathers and warm buff along the sides, rather than treating any black-capped small bird as a chickadee. [1]
Similar chickadees need extra care
Carolina Chickadees look very similar. Geographic range is useful, but birds near the contact zone deserve caution: each species can learn the other’s song. Neither one call nor a small apparent color difference should be used as an infallible identification shortcut. [4]
Within this species, males and females share the same basic plumage. [4]
Life history
How This Bird Lives
Where to look
Explore woodland edges, willow thickets, parks, and neighborhoods with trees. Listen first, then follow the activity through nearby twigs. Chickadees often travel with other small woodland birds, so look through the entire flock. [2] [3]
Food & foraging
Insects and spiders are especially important in the warmer months. Seeds and berries become a larger part of the winter diet. A bird visiting a feeder often takes one seed away to a perch instead of staying to eat in the crowd. [2] [1]
A small home in softened wood
Both partners can excavate a cavity in decaying wood. They also use suitable existing holes or nest boxes. The female builds a mossy nest with a softer lining inside the chamber. [2]
A typical clutch is 6–8 eggs, though larger and smaller clutches occur. The female incubates for about 12–13 days; both parents eventually bring food to the young. [4]
Did you know?
A Closer Look at Black-capped Chickadees
A remarkable food memory
Chickadees hide food in separate places and can remember thousands of storage sites. A seed carried away may be saved for later rather than eaten immediately. [3]
More than one kind of call
The familiar chick-a-dee call is only part of the vocabulary. A clear, often two-note whistle is also a chickadee song. Learning both makes the bird easier to recognize by ear. [1]
A clue to other birds
Migrating warblers and other songbirds often associate with chickadees. Finding a chickadee flock can therefore be the beginning of a mixed-species observation, not the end of the search. [3]
Sources: [1] Cornell · Identification[2] Cornell · Life history[3] Cornell · Species overview[4] Audubon · Field guide
Range & Sightings
Recorded Observations
Explore sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.
Keep Learning
Compare several photographs, then listen to recordings to connect appearance with voice.