Chickadees

Family

Tit / Paridae

genus

Poecile

Order

Passeriformes

genus

Poecile

Class

Aves

species

There are 7 types of chickadee species

• Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

• Mountain chickadee (Poecile gambeli)

• Boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)

• Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

• Gray-headed chickadee (Poecile cinctus)

• Mexican chickadee (Poecile sclateri)

• Chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens)

about

Chickadees are beautiful little birds with a distinctive song you may have heard while hiking or camping in the forest! Chickadees are small birds that weigh only 0.3 to 0.4 ounces and they have a top flying speed of 12mph. They are known for their “cap” of dark feathers on their head that can distinguish them from other birds in the forest.

habitat

Chickadees live in the woodlands, mostly in North America. They do not migrate in the winter, instead, they spend the winter in small flocks foraging in the woodlands and maybe visiting backyard bird feeders. 

Chickadees make their nest in tree cavities that they make in soft or rotten wood. Female chickadees lay 5-7 eggs and can even lay up to 13 eggs! Both of the parents help foraging food for their babies and feed the nestlings with caterpillars and insects.

diet

Chickadees love to feast on insects at any stage of life including eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult insects. They will also visit backyards and eat from bird feeders especially in the months that there are less insects around. Chickadees will eat sunflower seeds, peanuts and other chopped nuts, and they even enjoy peanut butter!

fun facts

Chickadees are named after their distinct song “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” which is actually an alarm call, and the amount of ‘dees’ depends on the predator that is nearby. Chickadee calls are distinctive to their species, and can be as complex as human language!

Chickadees will let their minds forget old information that is no longer useful to them. This allows them to adapt to changes and make room for more important information! 

Chickadees are very smart little hoarders! They will hide seeds and other food so that they can eat it later. They will hide food in many different spots, and they can even remember thousands of hiding places! Crazy!

download our chickadee field guide

Learn at home, in your classroom or on-the-go with our end use materials and templates. In each field guide, you will learn more about a featured flora and fauna from our monthly expedition crates.

You’ll find information about anatomy, lifecycles, matching exercises, flash cards, and downloadable posters.