New York · Year-round resident

Black-capped Chickadees in New York

When black-capped chickadees are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

Status in New York: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b
Nest box: 1 1/8 in round hole, 4 × 4 in floor, 5–15 ft

When to expect black-capped chickadees in New York

Black-capped Chickadees live in New York all year. Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important. 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, from cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, 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.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

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 York plants that attract black-capped chickadees

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

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Fall seed.

Oaks

Quercus spp. · Tree

Acorns and caterpillars.

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.

Feeding black-capped chickadees through the New York 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 York's winter: Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.

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

Frequently asked

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

Yes. Black-capped Chickadees are year-round residents in New York.

When do black-capped chickadees nest in New York?

Nesting in New York 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 York?

Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Black-eyed Susan, Oaks, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, White oak are native plants in New York 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 York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay 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 Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll 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 Canada Jay 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.