Black-capped Chickadee - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla)

ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Paridae (Chickadees and Titmice - 10 Species)
SPECIES: Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla)

Black-capped Chickadee
The Black-capped Chickadee is one of the most familiar birds of North America. It is often seen jumping between the branches of bushes searching for insects, seeds and berries. In winter, it is a frequent visitor to the feeders. On cold winter nights, these birds reduce their body temperature to conserve energy.
SIZE	The Black-capped Chickadee is a small (4-6”) song bird of the Emberizidae Family.
DESCRIPTION	The Chickadee has a grayish upper part, black crown and throat with white side cheeks. They rusty brown flanks and a short dark bill, short wings with a long tail. Sexes are similar in appearance.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 2-5 eggs, which are incubated in 11 to 14 days. They nest in a hole in a tree, using a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker nesting cavity. They like to evacuate their nest cavity when they can. A trick to get them to use a bird box is to fill the box partially with saw dust, they will remove the saw dust and use the box.
RANGE	Breeds from Alaska, Canada through the northern parts of the United States. Black-capped Chickadees are considered permanent residents, but some northern populations regularly migrate to the south because of food shortages.
HABITAT	They habitat parks, suburban areas, farmlands, wetlands, willow thickets, most anyplace where there are deciduous or mixed woodlands.
DIET	Insects form a large part of their diet, especially in summer; seeds and berries become important in winter. They sometimes hammer seeds on a tree or shrub to open them; they also will store seeds for later use.

INTERESTING FACTS

Deciduous Forests

Deciduous forests are made up mainly of trees that lose their leaves at a certain time of year. There are lots of other different types of deciduous trees. A few examples of deciduous trees; Red Oak, White Oak, American Elm, Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Wild Black Cherry, Gray Birch and American Beech. Deciduous trees change every season. In the summer the leaves are green and in the fall the leaves turn to many different varieties of red, brown, yellow and orange. In the winter the leaves die and fall from the tree. The trees are bare, and they live on the food stored in their branches until the spring. In the spring the trees can get the light and nourishment they need to survive. Some of the deciduous trees can get up to 100 feet tall. Trees help moderate temperature, provide shade and beauty. They also provide a place for birds to nest and to obtain their nourishment.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Black-capped Chickadee

Sapsucker Woods Bird Sanctuary Tompkins County, New York


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Groton Township Tompkins County, New York


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Black-capped Chickadee Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes