January 2012

The little gray and white bundle of woodland energy with the black head inhabits its full range all year round, but is more noticeable in winter when leafy cover is absent and the chickadee frequents the well-stocked bird feeder. 

Insects are the black-cap’s favorite prey, but when it’s cold and they’re harder to come by, the perky songster switches to moth eggs, spiders and plant materials to provide its high-energy needs. Adding suet and sunflower and safflower seeds to a bird feeding station is an invitation it can’t resist.

“United we stand” could be the little chickadee’s defense motto. The first one to spot a predator sounds a warning note, and the whole flock freezes, then all members begin uttering thin, ventriloquial notes, confusing the predator into abandoning its quest.

In the warmer southeast, look for the black-cap’s cousin, the Carolina chickadee, which is very similar in appearance, save for showing a little more gray and a little less white, and being slightly smaller. As common and widespread in its habitat as its northern kin, there is surprisingly little fraternization between them in a narrow zone of overlapping ranges.

Black-capped chickadee                Poecile atricapillus

5 inches

Habitat: mixed forests and woodlands, thickets, suburbs

Range Key:  ● Black-capped chickadee   ● Carolina chickadee

© Tim Herd        Photo by Leonard Lee Rue III