Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee

Habitat:
Alaska, Canada and northern United States is the range of the Black-capped Chickadee. Mostly a permanent resident, the Chickadee is a very popular bird across the northern U.S. and southern Canada, always welcome at bird feeders where it may take one sunflower seed at a time and fly away to stuff them into bark crevices.

Diet:
Mostly insects, seeds, berries. Summer diet is mostly caterpillars and other insects, also spiders, snails, some berries. In winter, feed mostly on seeds. They sometimes take food while hovering and may catch insects in midair. Come to bird feeders for seeds and suet. Often store food for later recovery.

Nesting:
Pairs typically form in fall and remain together as part of winter flock. Male often feeds the female, beginning in early spring.
Site of nest is in hole in tree, typically an enlargement of small cavity in rotten wood, sometimes old woodpecker holes, or bird house. Nest built by female, has foundation of moss or other matter, lined with soft material such as animal hair.

Eggs:
Usually 6-8, sometimes more. White, with fine dots of reddish brown. Incubation is by female only, 12-13 days. Female covers eggs with nest material when leaving nest. Male aften feeds female during incubation.

Young:
Female remains with young most of time at first, while male brings food. Later, both parents bring food. Young leave nest at about 16 days. Normally one brood per year.
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