Black-capped Chickadees in Alaska
When black-capped chickadees are present in Alaska, when they nest, which native Alaska plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 1a–8a yard.
- Status in Alaska
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 1a–8a
- Nest box
- 1 1/8 in round hole, 4 × 4 in floor, 5–15 ft
When to expect black-capped chickadees in Alaska
Black-capped Chickadees live in Alaska all year. Interior winters reach −40°F with under four hours of daylight; resident chickadees and redpolls depend on high-fat food. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward cached seeds and insect eggs; suet and sunflower at feeders; poison-ivy and bayberry fruit.
Subarctic interior, temperate rainforest in the Southeast panhandle, and Arctic tundra on the North Slope.
Nesting in Alaska
Across Alaska, black-capped chickadees typically nest from May–July. Nest site: excavates or reuses cavities in soft, rotting wood; readily uses nest boxes. Females lay 1–13 eggs (usually 6–8), incubate for 11–14 days, and young leave the nest after 12–16 days.
A short, explosive summer with near-continuous daylight compresses nesting into a few weeks.
- Have boxes cleaned and mounted before April — black-capped chickadees begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
- Use a 1 1/8 in round entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–15 ft.
- Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
- Clean out old nests after each brood and again after July.
Native Alaska plants that attract black-capped chickadees
Of the regional native plants we track for Alaska, these 7 provide food or cover black-capped chickadees use:
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.
Persistent cones in boreal bogs.
Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.
Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.
Catkin seed for redpolls on the tundra.
Tall magenta spikes are a key northern hummingbird flower.
Feeding black-capped chickadees through the Alaska year
Chickadees grab one seed, leave to hammer it open or hide it, then return. They are among the first to find a new feeder.
- Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Suet, Shelled peanuts, Hulled sunflower.
- In Alaska's winter: Interior winters reach −40°F with under four hours of daylight; resident chickadees and redpolls depend on high-fat food.
Full diet breakdown for black-capped chickadees · Best feeder for black-capped chickadees
Frequently asked
Are black-capped chickadees in Alaska year-round?
Yes. Black-capped Chickadees are year-round residents in Alaska.
When do black-capped chickadees nest in Alaska?
Nesting in Alaska typically runs May–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 1–13 eggs (usually 6–8), incubated for 11–14 days.
What native plants attract black-capped chickadees in Alaska?
Paper birch, White spruce, Black spruce, Tamarack, Willow (Bebb), Dwarf birch, Fireweed are native plants in Alaska that provide food or cover for black-capped chickadees.
What size birdhouse hole do black-capped chickadees need?
1 1/8 in round, with a floor of 4 × 4 in mounted 5–15 ft.
Black-capped Chickadees in other regions
Other backyard birds in Alaska
Sources
- Black-capped Chickadee — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-capped Chickadee life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-capped Chickadee — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Alaska
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.