New Jersey · Year-round resident

Black-capped Chickadees in New Jersey

When black-capped chickadees are present in New Jersey, when they nest, which native New Jersey plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6a–7b yard.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

Status in New Jersey: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6a–7b
Nest box: 1 1/8 in round hole, 4 × 4 in floor, 5–15 ft
Range note: North; Carolina Chickadee in the south.

When to expect black-capped chickadees in New Jersey

Black-capped Chickadees live in New Jersey all year — north; Carolina Chickadee in the south. Moderate winters; Cape May and the shore hold many half-hardy birds. 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.

Humid continental to subtropical, from the Highlands in the north to the Pine Barrens and Cape May.

Nesting in New Jersey

Across New Jersey, black-capped chickadees typically nest from April–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.

Hot, humid summers; Cape May is a world-class migration funnel.

Have boxes cleaned and mounted before March — 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 New Jersey plants that attract black-capped chickadees

Of the regional native plants we track for New Jersey, these 8 provide food or cover black-capped chickadees use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding black-capped chickadees through the New Jersey 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 New Jersey's winter: Moderate winters; Cape May and the shore hold many half-hardy birds.

Full diet breakdown for black-capped chickadees · Best feeder for black-capped chickadees

Frequently asked

Are black-capped chickadees in New Jersey year-round?

Yes. Black-capped Chickadees are year-round residents in New Jersey. North; Carolina Chickadee in the south.

When do black-capped chickadees nest in New Jersey?

Nesting in New Jersey typically runs April–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 New Jersey?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush are native plants in New Jersey 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.

Other backyard birds in New Jersey

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Fox Sparrow

Sources

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.