Black-capped chickadee

The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a passerine songbird of the family Paridae. It lives in Canada, Alaska and the northern United States. This is a small, common bird which sings a simple song.

Black-capped chickadee
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paridae
Genus:	Poecile
Binomial name
Poecile atricapillus Linnaeus 1766

Appearance

The bird is about 12–15 cm (5–6 in) long and weighs 9-15 g (0.32-0.49 oz).

The male and female black-capped chickadees look the same. The black-capped chickadee has black and white on its head. The top of the head and throat are black, and the sides are white. It has a short, black beak.

The back of the bird is gray. The front of the body is white and light brown. The bird has short wings and a short tail.

Song

The song of the black-capped chickadee is a clear whistle.

Behavior

In the summer, the birds eat many insects. In the winter, they eat seeds and berries. They will hide seeds in different places and return later to eat them. When two chickadees want to build a nest, they use a hole in a tree.

Black-capped Chickadee Media

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  Black-capped chickadee clinging to a wire

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  Black-capped chickadee, Iona Beach Regional Park

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  Eating seeds in Central Park

• Black-capped Chickadee working on a sunflower seed, Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Quebec, Canada

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  Black-capped chickadee at a feeder

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  A black-capped chickadee excavating a nest cavity in a dead tree

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  Black-capped chickadee hatchlings are altricial and born without feathers

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  A Maine registration plate, with a black-capped chickadee on the left