Species guide
Black-capped Chickadee: how to recognise it
A bird of North America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Kent Ross · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Poecile atricapillus
- Family
- Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Size
- About 12–15 cm
- Habitat
- Woodland, parks and feeders
- Found in
- North America
The key marks
Small, with a black cap and bib, white cheeks, a grey back and buff flanks.
Voice
A whistled “fee-bee” and the “chick-a-dee” call.
Good to know
Its “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” alarm call gets more “dees” when the danger is greater, and other birds understand the code.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in woodland, parks and feeders. It is especially common in Canada. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.