Chickadee, Black-capped
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 Black-capped Chickadees are the most adorable. They are small and have very rounded bodies, especially 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” of features on top of their heads, which 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, quickly snatching one and then flying off to a perch to bash open the hulls. I often have a difficult time getting decent photos of them because 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.
In this video, watch as an adult feeds its young:
Back to My Backyard Birds