In Maryland, this comprehensive handbook unveils the various Chickadee species that grace the area, complete with vivid photo identifications, detailed descriptions, enchanting audio recordings of their melodious tunes, intriguing tidbits, and more captivating information.
Chickadees, those industrious little songsters, flutter energetically in pursuit of insects, readily visiting backyard feeders. They belong to the esteemed Poecile avian family, and within North America, only seven Chickadee species exist.
Within Maryland’s borders, three Chickadee varieties can be sighted. The Carolina Chickadee and Black-capped Chickadee are year-round residents, while the presence of the Boreal Chickadee remains an extraordinary rarity.
Although Chickadees do not embark on migratory journeys, they may descend to lower altitudes during the winter season. To endure the frigid months, studies have demonstrated that Chickadees store food, seek refuge in cavities, and enter a regulated state of nocturnal hypothermia to conserve energy.
Due to their high body temperature and voracious appetite, Chickadees must consume an amount of food equivalent to their own weight each day!
Chickadees typically lead rather short lives, lasting merely two or three years, with some individuals enduring only one year as adults and experiencing a single breeding season. However, there are instances of Chickadees surviving for an impressive twelve years.
Distinguishing between male and female Chickadees can prove challenging as they possess similar appearances, except for the males’ resonant ‘Fee-bee’ song.
Furthermore, the Black-capped Chickadee and Carolina Chickadee bear striking resemblances, yet the former exhibits greater wing whiteness and a 2-note song, distinct from the Carolina Chickadee’s 4-note melody.
Chickadees relish insects and seeds, often frequenting backyard feeders for a tasty snack. Discover other avian species commonly observed in Maryland’s backyards and obtain a complimentary identification chart.
This guide relies on Avibase and the invaluable contributions of birdwatchers on ebird to provide accurate information regarding the Chickadee types sighted in Maryland.
Maryland’s Chickadee Trio:
1. Carolina Chickadee
Remaining Maryland residents throughout the year, Carolina Chickadees are present in 35% of summer checklists and 40% of winter checklists submitted by diligent birdwatchers.
Carolina Chickadees are petite songbirds with prominent heads, featuring black caps and throats, white cheeks and bellies, as well as soft gray plumage adorning their backs, wings, and tails.
Similar in appearance to Black-capped Chickadees, they interbreed only in certain regions where their ranges overlap. Notably, Carolina Chickadees possess less white in their wings compared to their Black-capped counterparts.
Scientific Name: Poecile carolinensis
Length: 3.9-4.7 inches (10-12 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 ounces (8-12 g)
Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 inches (15-20 cm)
Carolina Chickadees reside year-round in the eastern and southeastern parts of the United States.
These delightful creatures frequent wooded areas, parks, and even backyard spaces. During summer, their diet primarily consists of insects and spiders, while roughly half of their winter sustenance derives from plant matter.
Carolina Chickadee Song:
Credit: Brian Hendrix, XC572217. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/572217.
Carolina Chickadees fashion their nests in self-made or pre-existing cavities, lining them with moss and subsequently layering softer materials like hair. They lay up to ten eggs, requiring approximately two weeks for hatching, followed by an additional two to three weeks for the fledglings to leave the nest.
To entice Carolina Chickadees to your backyard feeders, offer black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, or peanuts. These birds happily partake from various feeder types, including tube feeders, suet cages, and platform feeders. Additionally, they are receptive to nesting boxes and tubes.
2. Black-capped Chickadee
Frequently encountered in Maryland throughout the year, the Black-capped Chickadee appears in 2% of both summer and winter checklists for the state.
With endearing round heads and diminutive bodies, Black-capped Chickadees readily grace backyard feeders and exhibit a curious nature towards everything, including humans!
Distinguished by their black caps, beaks, and throats, complemented by white cheeks, these birds boast gray plumage adorning their backs, wings, and tails. Their bellies showcase lighter shades. Remarkably, they bear a striking resemblance to Carolina Chickadees.
Scientific Name: 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 are non-migratory and can be observed in the northern half of the United States and Canada.
Forests, open woods, and parks serve as favored habitats for Black-capped Chickadees. Their diet encompasses seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and suet.
Black-capped Chickadee Call/Song:
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
Nesting primarily occurs in abandoned woodpecker cavities, although they may fashion their own cavities within decaying branches. Both males and females participate in constructing the nest, with the female lining it using moss and subsequently adding softer materials like fur.
Their clutch size can reach up to thirteen eggs, requiring approximately two weeks to hatch, followed by an additional two weeks for the fledglings to depart the nest.
To attract Black-capped Chickadees to your backyard, entice them with suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, or peanut butter. These friendly birds may even feed directly from your hand, often being among the first to discover new feeders. Nest boxes, especially when filled with wood shavings, are also enticing to them.
Fun Fact: Black-capped Chickadees possess remarkable brains that discard old neurons annually, allowing them to shed unnecessary information and replace it with new neurons and knowledge.
3. Boreal Chickadee
The presence of Boreal Chickadees in Maryland is exceedingly rare, bordering on accidental. Sightings of these species have been absent for numerous years.
Boreal Chickadees are diminutive grayish-brown songbirds, characterized by dark brown caps, small black bibs, cinnamon-hued sides, and white underparts and cheeks.
Scientific Name: Poecile hudsonicus
Length: 4.9-5.5 inches (12.5-14 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 ounces (7-12.4 g)
Boreal Chickadees reside in Canada and Alaska, occasionally venturing into northern states of the United States.
Typically inhabiting coniferous forests, often near water sources, Boreal Chickadees can also be found in deciduous or mixed forests. Their diet consists of seeds and insects, primarily obtained from the upper regions of the forest canopy. They readily visit feeders as well.
Credit: Ken Hall, XC511286. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/511286.
Nesting habits of Boreal Chickadees often involve utilizing dead trees, with the female responsible for excavating the cavity. Moss and bark form the initial lining, supplemented by softer materials like hair and feathers. They lay up to nine eggs, requiring slightly over two weeks for hatching.
To attract Boreal Chickadees to your backyard, offer black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, peanuts, and mealworms through various feeder types. Erecting a nesting box can also attract potential mating pairs.
Fun Fact: Boreal Chickadees diligently store seeds and insects in preparation for the arduous and unforgiving winter season.
Attracting Chickadees to Your Backyard
Observing the delightful antics of Chickadees as they scurry about in search of nourishment is a joyous experience. If you desire to witness more of these charming avian creatures in your yard, consider the following tips to attract them:
1. Provide feeders stocked with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, suet, or peanuts.
2. Various feeder types, including tube feeders, suet cages, and platform feeders, will accommodate Chickadees’ feeding preferences.
3. Incorporate a water source, preferably a birdbath with running water, to quench their thirst.
4. Plant trees and shrubs that yield berries, attracting insects that serve as Chickadees’ prey.
5. Refrain from using pesticides or herbicides, as Chickadees rely on insects as part of their diet.
6. Foster shelter by cultivating trees and shrubs, providing a safe haven for Chickadees.
7. Offer nesting boxes with a small entrance hole measuring 1 1/8 inches, mounted at heights ranging from 5 to 15 feet above the ground.
8. Ensure cats remain indoors, preventing harm to the visiting Chickadees.
9. Exercise patience, as it may take some time for the birds to discover your yard and feeders.
Chickadee Songs and Calls
Chickadees are renowned for their distinctive vocalizations, including the famous “chick a dee” call, which actually functions as a mild alarm or contact call. Their melodious song resonates as a delightful “fee bee” sound.
Chickadee Sounds:
1. Fee-bee
This call is exclusively produced by males.
The first note possesses a higher pitch compared to the second.
Males prefer to distance themselves from other males while singing.
Credit: Matt Wistrand, XC554222. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/554222.
2. Faint Fee-bee
Both males and females generate this call.
Females employ it to summon the male for feeding while she is incubating.
Used for communication between parents and young.
3. Chick-a-dee call
Serves as a mild alarm call.
Contact calls within flocks.
Coordinates movement within flocks.
Credit: GABRIEL LEITE, XC420822. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/420822.
4. Gargle
Comprises a series of two to nine short notes.
Utilized when birds come too close within flocks or near feeders.
Functions as a warning call to prompt other Chickadees to retreat.
Credit: Todd Wilson, XC42956. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/42956.
5. Begging Call
Young Chickadees emit bee-like calls to elicit feeding responses from their parents.
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC36609.
Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/36609.
6. High Seet Call
An alarm call sounded in the presence of predators.
Credit: Tayler Brooks, XC35305. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/35305.
Frequency of Chickadee Sightings in Maryland during Summer and Winter
Checklists serve as invaluable resources to determine the prevalence of bird species within a given state. The following percentages represent the frequency of Chickadee sightings based on ebird checklists during summer and winter in Maryland:
Chickadees in Maryland during Summer:
Carolina Chickadee: 35.3%
Black-capped Chickadee: 2.2%
Chickadees in Maryland during Winter:
Carolina Chickadee: 40.6%
Black-capped Chickadee: 1.6%
Boreal Chickadee: <0.1%