• Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are one of seven chickadee species found in North America. 

• Only one other species is common to Colorado – the mountain chickadee, distinguishable by a white stripe above each eye instead of a solid black cap. [The range of the two species can overlap and hybridization can occur.}

• Black-capped chickadees are year-round residents in Colorado – they don’t migrate.   The species is widely distributed and common throughout northern North America.

• They prefer mixed forests and can be found in cities where nesting sites are available.

• Insects, berries, and seeds are favored foods, the latter being cached for winter use. 

• The hippocampus in the brain grows during the caching season to help the bird remember where its meals are stored.

• The familiar “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call is the source of their name.  When danger is sensed, the call will include more “dees” – the more “dees” the higher the sense of danger.

• Chickadees are social birds and are often seen in small flocks, especially during the winter.

• Chickadees are monomorphic – the males and females look the same.

• They are cavity nesters and will nest in tree cavities that may have been excavated by other birds, or in nestboxes. The nest usually has 6-8 eggs and only the female incubates them. Young chickadees fledge after 12-16 days.

Sources: volunteer Leslie Dixon, Sibley's Field Guide to Western Birds of North America, Wikipedia