Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

The bright clean feathers on this chickadee indicate that
the photo was taken in late fall or winter. The feathers will
in the late summer before being replaced.
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2011. Do not copy.

As you may know, I am a freelance writer by trade. One of the regular columns I write is the Manchester Bird Watching Examiner at Examiner.com. I just published an article there about one of the birds that lives in my yard, the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus). In the article, I discussed the complex set of vocal signals the black-capped chickadee uses to communicate with others of its species and even with other species of birds. If you find the idea of language being used by animals other than humans as interesting as I do, you can read "The Language of Chickadees" at this link to learn what they are saying with their different songs and calls.

Meanwhile, let's discuss the bird as another of the animals that lives in my yard.

The black-capped chickadee is another year-round resident in New Hampshire. In the spring and summer they set-up housekeeping and establish nests. In the winter, they are a bit more cooperative forming groups of six or eight birds that tend to stick together in a small flock. They don't generally migrate from New Hampshire, but extremely harsh winter weather may periodically push them south as they search for food and respite from the very coldest temperatures. This, as I mentioned in a previous post, is called irruptive migration.

Black-capped Chickadee Nesting Habits


Chickadees are quite happy in suburban settings as well as on the forest edge or clearings deep within forests. They nest in hollowed out tree cavities which they either find or dig themselves. They can also be tempted into using artificial birdhouses located 6-15 feet off the ground and placed in or on the edge of the forest. They'll line these cavities with soft plant material such as moss, pine needles, and the soft down of plants like thistles or milkweed. Of course, man-made materials that they find will be used as well. In our yard, we often brush our dog's coat in the pring and early summer as she is shedding and we leave the hair on the lawn for the birds to use in their nests.

Chickadee eggs are quite small, about 5/8 inches in diameter. They are white with brown spots and are typically laid in clutches of 6-8 eggs. Instead of laying them all at once, the black-capped chickadee will lay one egg each day until the clutch is complete. The young hatch blind and featherless, but are ready to leave the nest in just 16 days after hatching. Adults measure 5 inches in length.

Quick facts about the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus):

Lifespan: Although generally considered to live about 2-3 years, Ehrlich, Dokin and Wheye of Stanford University state that the longest recorded lifespan for a black-capped chickadee is 12 years, 5 months.

Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) at a
suet feeder.
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2011. Do not copy.

Diet: Chickadees are primarily seed eaters in the winter and are frequent vistors to backyard bird feeders. As you can see in the photo to the right, they will eat suet as well. During the summer, they'll flit from branch to branch in trees and shrubs looking for bugs to eat.

When is it here? Black-capped chickadees are found in New Hampshire all year round.

Where does it go in the winter? Chickadees are active all winter, relying on seeds and berries that are left on trees and bushes or the seed and suet put out in birdfeeders.

Notes: Although most of us know the "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" warning call of the black-capped chickadee, the usual call is a smooth, lazy "Feee-beee" that has a much more musical sound.