The Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, nonmigratory, North American songbird. This “cute” bird is known for its curiosity about everything, humans included. Little flocks of Black-capped chickadees are active in the winter woods, flying from tree to tree, often in the company of other birds such as nuthatches, creepers, and kinglets, sounding out their cheery chick-a-dee call. They become well known to people, due to their habit of investigating everything in their home territory, often being the first to discover bird feeders.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Canada Province BirdsThe Black-capped chickadee has a black cap and "bib" with white sides to the face. Its underparts are white with rusty brown on the flanks. Its back is gray and the tail is normally slate gray. This bird has a short dark beak of 8-9.5 mm (0.31-0.37 in), short, rounded wings, and a long tail of 58-63 mm (2.3-2.5 in). The males and the females of this species look alike, but males are slightly larger and longer than females.
![Black-Capped Chickadee [97/100]](https://s3.animalia.bio/animals/photos/small/1x1/black-capped-chickadee-97-100.webp)
Black-capped chickadees live in North America in Alaska, the southern part of Canada, and the northernmost two-thirds of the US. They do not migrate except when food is scarce. These birds prefer deciduous woodlands, cottonwood groves, open woods and parks, and willow thickets. Most commonly they are seen near the edges of wooded areas and are frequent visitors to backyard feeders. They nest in holes, usually in stumps or dead trees, being attracted to habitats that have suitable locations for nests. During winter, small flocks of them can be seen in dense conifer forests.
Black-capped chickadees often are in small flocks, foraging at feeders or in woodlands. During the day they are very active, often foraging upside-down or gleaning, hovering, and hawking. They can be seen creeping up a tree and hopping along trunks. Their hierarchy within the flock consists of the male bird above the female and the old above the young. Dominant individuals mate with each other and can access the best resources, usually affording them better-nesting success than the subordinate individuals. These birds migrate for short distances southwards when seed crops are poor or fail. At such times, flocks are highly visible in the daytime, and in winter they often form larger flocks with nuthatches, warblers, woodpeckers, and other birds, and will defend their feeding territory from other flocks. These flocks start to break up in late winter, and males become intolerant of other members. Pairs then separate from the flock in order to nest. One of the most recognizable sounds produced, particularly by the males, is the two-note ‘fee-bee’ song. It is a simple, clear whistle of two notes, identical in rhythm, the first roughly a whole-step above the second. The males sing the song only in relative isolation from other chickadees (including their mates). In late summer, some young birds sing only a single note. Apart from their most familiar call ‘chick-a-dee-dee-dee’, these chickadees make a number of other calls and sounds, such as a gargle noise usually used by males to indicate a threat of attacking another male, often when feeding.
Black-capped chickadees are carnivores (insectivores). They eat insects, caterpillars, spiders, and snails. In winter, they eat seeds and berries.
Black-capped chickadees are monogamous and form pairs that remain together for years. Pairs will establish and defend territory, and remain on or near it for the remainder of their lives. Their display of courtship involves wing-shivering, soft calls, and the male giving food to the female. This species breeds from April to early August. They often locate their cup-shaped nest in cavities that they excavate themselves. They also nest in woodpecker holes, nest boxes, or natural cavities. Excavation takes up to one week, then the female builds the nest, usually in a few days or a couple of weeks. During this time she is fed by her mate. She lays between 6 and 8 small non-glossy eggs, varying in color. Incubation is done by the female for around 12 to 13 days, and she is fed by the male. On hatching, the chicks are brooded and fed by the female, and at 14 to 18 days old they fledge. The fledglings and parents then leave the site of the nest but will travel in a group, the parents continuing to feed their young until they are 5 to 6 weeks old and reach independence.
The Black-capped chickadee is currently not regarded as a threatened species. However, the removal of dead trees in great numbers due to excessive forest management can have a negative impact on this species by reducing available suitable natural nesting sites.
According to the All About Birds resource, the total breeding population of the Black-capped chickadee is 41 million individuals, 54% of these living in Canada, with 46% in the U.S. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are increasing.
As a cavity-nesting bird that excavates a new nest each season, a Black-capped chickadee creates a habitat for other species in its locality that use cavities. Many cavity-nesting species cannot create cavities themselves and so are limited to breeding when others have abandoned their nest. Black-capped chickadees sometimes eat berries and seeds and are likely contributors to local seed distribution.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...