How to attract Black-capped Chickadee

BE AWARE THAT HABITAT TYPE MORE THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR, WILL IN MOST CASES, DICTATE THE SPECIES OF BIRD THAT VISIT YOUR PROPERTY.

How to Attract Black-capped Chickadee

This recognizable bird is often a favorite of birdwatchers due to its cuteness and boldness (it will eat right out of your hand). The Black-Capped Chickadee is a small grayish-white bird, with a black cap and bib set on white cheeks. In winter the Black-capped Chickadee happens to be one of the easiest birds to attract to your yard. The key in winter is to provide black-oil sunflower seed for food and shrubs or evergreens for shelter. During breeding season (spring and summer) their diet shifts to insects but a pair of Black-capped Chickadee may use a nesting box if provided (note: adding saw dust to the bottom of the box may encourage use). Black-capped Chickadee will also frequent birdbaths, which is a great way to observe these energetic birds. Many birds flock with Black-capped Chickadee because it excels at spotting potential food/water sources and predators. For this reason, familiarizing yourself with the Black-capped Chickadee call (which is very easy to learn) can be invaluable not only in spotting the Chickadee itself but also in finding rarer birds like Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Vireos - which often flock with them.

Top Ways to Attract Black-capped Chickadee

• Sunflower Seed
• Nesting Box
• Birdbath
• Insect-Friendly Yard
• Seed-Bearing Flowers

Trees & Shrubs that Attract Black-capped Chickadee

• Alder (Nesting)
• American Mountain Ash (Fruit)
• Birch (Seeds, Nesting)
• Dead Trees (Nesting)
• Eastern Hemlock (Seeds)
• Eastern White Pine (Seeds, Nesting)
• Elm (Seeds)
• Hickory (Nut)
• Northern Bayberry (Fruit)
• Sumac (Fruit)
• Tulip-Poplar (Seeds)

Flowers & Vines that Attract Black-capped Chickadee

• Aster (Seeds)
• Blue Wild Indigo (Seeds)
• Black-Eyed Susan (Seeds)
• Blazing Star (Seeds)
• Goldenrod (Seeds)
• Ironweed (Seeds)
• Purple Coneflower (Seeds)
• Sunflower (Seeds)

Attracting Black-capped Chickadee with a Bird Feeder

Feeder Type:

• Hanging Tube
• Hopper
• Platform
• Suet Feeder

Feed:

• Mealworms
• Peanut
• Suet
• Sunflower Seed

Black-capped Chickadee Information

Black-capped Chickadee Identification:

• Small-sized bird
• Black cap and bib set on white cheeks, grayish upperparts, whitish underparts

Black-capped Chickadee Habitat:

• Mature Deciduous Forests
• Open Woodland
• Backyards with Trees

Black-capped Chickadee Eating Habits:

• Spring/Summer/Fall: mostly insects and spiders, some seed
• Winter: mostly seed (strongly favor sunflower), some berries

Black-capped Chickadee Nesting:

• Cavity-Nester
• Favor dead or decomposing trees; especially Birch and Alder
• Will use Nesting Box