Chestnut-backed Chickadees in Alaska
When chestnut-backed 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–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 1a–8a
- Nest box
- 1 1/8 in hole, 4 × 4 in floor, 5–15 ft
When to expect chestnut-backed chickadees in Alaska
Chestnut-backed 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 conifer seeds.
Subarctic interior, temperate rainforest in the Southeast panhandle, and Arctic tundra on the North Slope.
Nesting in Alaska
Across Alaska, chestnut-backed chickadees typically nest from May–June. Nest site: cavity or nest box with a thick fur lining. Females lay 5–7 eggs, incubate for 12–18 days, and young leave the nest after 18–21 days.
A short, explosive summer with near-continuous daylight compresses nesting into a few weeks.
- Have boxes cleaned and mounted before April — chestnut-backed chickadees begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
- Use a 1 1/8 in 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 June.
Native Alaska plants that attract chestnut-backed chickadees
Of the regional native plants we track for Alaska, these 6 provide food or cover chestnut-backed 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.
Feeding chestnut-backed chickadees through the Alaska year
A bird of wet Pacific conifer forest; forages high in Douglas fir and hemlock.
- Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Suet.
- 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 chestnut-backed chickadees · Best feeder for chestnut-backed chickadees
Frequently asked
Are chestnut-backed chickadees in Alaska year-round?
Yes. Chestnut-backed Chickadees are year-round residents in Alaska.
When do chestnut-backed chickadees nest in Alaska?
Nesting in Alaska typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–7 eggs, incubated for 12–18 days.
What native plants attract chestnut-backed chickadees in Alaska?
Paper birch, White spruce, Black spruce, Tamarack, Willow (Bebb), Dwarf birch are native plants in Alaska that provide food or cover for chestnut-backed chickadees.
What size birdhouse hole do chestnut-backed chickadees need?
1 1/8 in, with a floor of 4 × 4 in mounted 5–15 ft.
Chestnut-backed Chickadees in other regions
Other backyard birds in Alaska
Sources
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Chestnut-backed 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.