Bird guide · Poecile atricapillus
Black-capped Chickadee
What the black-capped chickadee eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 5.3 in (13.5 cm)
- Eats
- black oil sunflower, suet
- Feeds
- tube, hopper, suet cage
- Most common
- Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota
Food
What do black-capped chickadees eat?
At feeders, black-capped chickadees take black oil sunflower, suet.
Takes sunflower seeds one at a time and flies off to stuff them into bark crevices.
Feeder that suits it
A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.
Range
Where do black-capped chickadees live?
Northern United States and southern Canada. By share of all bird sightings, black-capped chickadees are most common in Vermont (4.8%).
States where black-capped chickadees are most common
- Vermont4.8%
- New Hampshire4.4%
- Minnesota4.1%
- Maine3.8%
- Wisconsin3.4%
- Massachusetts3.3%
- Michigan3.2%
- Connecticut2.8%
- Montana2.7%
- Iowa2.6%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are black-capped chickadees, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the black-capped chickadee migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are black-capped chickadees, by month.
Identification
How to identify the black-capped chickadee
Adults: Black cap and bib, white cheeks, grey back and a buff wash on the sides.
Size: 5.3 in (13.5 cm)
Nesting
Does the black-capped chickadee use nest boxes?
Yes. Nests in tree holes, sometimes in a nest box.
On camera
Getting the black-capped chickadee on a feeder camera
Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.
Questions
Black-capped Chickadee: questions
What do black-capped chickadees eat?
At feeders, black oil sunflower, suet.
Do black-capped chickadees migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Where do black-capped chickadees live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida.