In Massachusetts, this comprehensive guide will aid you in identifying the various species of Chickadees with descriptive photo IDs, audio recordings of their melodious songs, intriguing facts, and more.
Chickadees, the industrious and lively songbirds, flutter around in search of insects and are frequent visitors to backyard feeders. They belong to the Poecile family of avian species, comprising only seven types of Chickadees, all of which inhabit North America.
Massachusetts is home to two distinct species of Chickadees. While the Black-capped Chickadees are abundantly found here, Boreal Chickadees have also been sighted.
Unlike migrating birds, Chickadees may descend to lower ground during winter months. To endure the harsh cold, studies have revealed that Chickadees store food, seek shelter in cavities, and enter a state of regulated nocturnal hypothermia to conserve energy.
With their high body temperature, Chickadees possess an insatiable appetite and need to consume food equivalent to their own body weight each day!
Typically, Chickadees have relatively short lifespans, lasting only around two to three years. As adults, they may survive for a single year, often having just one breeding season. However, there have been records of Chickadees living up to twelve years.
Distinguishing between male and female Chickadees can be challenging since they share similar appearances. Additionally, the Black-capped Chickadees and Carolina Chickadees closely resemble each other, but the former exhibits more white in its wings and sings a 2-note song compared to the 4-note song of the latter.
Chickadees primarily feed on insects and seeds, often visiting backyard feeders in search of nourishing seeds or suet. Discover the other types of avian visitors commonly seen in Massachusetts and obtain a complimentary identification chart.
This guide serves to aid in identifying the Chickadee species found in Massachusetts, utilizing information from avibase and data collected from avid birdwatchers on ebird to provide accurate details about their sightings.
Massachusetts Boasts 2 Varieties of Chickadees:
1. Black-capped Chickadee
Throughout the year, Black-capped Chickadees are frequently observed in Massachusetts. Approximately 47% of birdwatchers’ checklists for the state confirm their presence during both summer and winter.
Black-capped Chickadees are charming little birds with round heads and diminutive bodies. They joyfully feed from backyard feeders and curiously investigate everything, including human observers!
These birds possess black caps, beaks, and throats, accompanied by white cheeks. Their backs, wings, and tails are gray, while their bellies exhibit a lighter shade. They bear a striking resemblance to Carolina Chickadees.
Poecile atricapillus
Length: 4.7-5.9 inches (12-15 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.5 ounces (9-14 g)
Wingspan: 6.3-8.3 inches (16-21 cm)
Black-capped Chickadees do not migrate and can be found in the northern regions of the United States and Canada.
These delightful birds inhabit forests, open woodlands, and parks. Their diet consists of seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and suet.
Black-capped Chickadee Call/Song:
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
Black-capped Chickadees usually nest in abandoned woodpecker nests, although they may create their own cavities in decaying branches. Both male and female Chickadees partake in nest building, with the female lining it using moss and other soft materials like fur.
They can lay a considerable clutch of up to thirteen eggs, which require approximately two weeks to hatch. The young birds leave the nest after an additional two weeks.
To attract Black-capped Chickadees to your backyard, provide suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, or peanut butter. These friendly birds may even feed directly from your hand and are often the first to discover new feeders. They also make use of nest boxes, particularly if filled with wood shavings.
Fun fact: Black-capped Chickadees possess remarkable brains that shed old information by letting old brain neurons die each year, replacing them with new neurons and knowledge.
2. Boreal Chickadee
In Massachusetts, Boreal Chickadees are classified as rare or accidental sightings, although they have been recorded during winter months.
Boreal Chickadees are diminutive grayish-brown songbirds with dark brown caps, small black bibs, cinnamon-colored sides, and white undersides and cheeks.
Poecile hudsonicus
Length: 4.9-5.5 inches (12.5-14 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 ounces (7-12.4 g)
Boreal Chickadees primarily inhabit Canada and Alaska, occasionally venturing into the northern regions of the United States.
These elusive birds are predominantly found in coniferous forests, often in proximity to bodies of water, but they can also be spotted in deciduous or mixed forests. They feed on seeds and insects, foraging from the upper levels of the forest canopy, and willingly visit feeders.
Credit: Ken Hall, XC511286. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/511286.
Boreal Chickadees typically nest in dead trees, with the female responsible for excavating the hole. The cavity is then lined with moss, bark, and softer materials like hair and feathers. They lay up to nine eggs, which hatch after just over two weeks.
To attract Boreal Chickadees to your backyard, provide black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, peanuts, mealworms, and various feeder types. Erecting a nesting box can also entice a mating pair.
Fun fact: Boreal Chickadees store seeds and insects as provisions to survive the long and harsh winter.
Attracting Chickadees to Your Backyard
Watching Chickadees in action brings great delight. To increase the presence of these charming birds in your yard, consider the following steps:
- Supply feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, or peanuts.
- Various feeder types, such as tube feeders, suet cages, or platform feeders, are suitable for Chickadees.
- Ensure a water source like a birdbath, preferably with running water.
- Plant trees and shrubs that bear berries, attracting insects that Chickadees feed on.
- Avoid using pesticides or herbicides, as Chickadees rely on insects for sustenance.
- Create shelter by planting trees and shrubs.
- Install a nest box with a small 1 1/8-inch hole, positioned 5 to 15 feet above the ground.
- Keep domestic cats indoors to protect the birds.
- Exercise patience, as it may take time for the birds to discover your yard and feeders.
Chickadee Songs and Calls
Chickadees are renowned for their distinctive “chick a dee” call, which serves as a mild alarm or contact call. Contrary to popular belief, their song is a “fee bee” sound.
Chickadee Sounds:
1. Fee-bee
Produced by males
The first note is higher-pitched than the second
Males distance themselves from other males while singing
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
2. Faint Fee-bee
Produced by both males and females
Females use this call to summon the male for feeding when incubating eggs
Used between parents and their offspring
3. Chick-a-dee call
Mild alarm call
Contact call within flocks
Coordinates movements within flocks
Credit: GABRIEL LEITE, XC420822. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/420822.
4. Gargle
Series of two to nine short notes
Used when birds come too close in flocks or at feeders
Serves as a warning call before a Chickadee may initiate a movement to distance others
Credit: Todd Wilson, XC42956. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/42956.
5. Begging Call
Young Chickadees emit “bee” calls to entice their parents to feed them
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC36609. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/36609.
5. High Seet Call
Alarm call in the presence of predators
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC35305. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/35305.
Frequency of Chickadee Sightings in Massachusetts during Summer and Winter
Checklists serve as valuable resources to determine the most commonly observed bird species in your state. The following data showcases the percentage of Chickadee sightings recorded on ebird checklists during summer and winter in Massachusetts:
Chickadees in Massachusetts during Summer:
Black-capped Chickadee: 47.5%
Boreal Chickadee: <0.1%
Chickadees in Massachusetts during Winter:
Black-capped Chickadee: 47.9%
Boreal Chickadee: <0.1%