Mountain Chickadees in California

Mountain Chickadees live in California all year. Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward pine and fir seeds.

Mediterranean along the coast and Central Valley, alpine in the Sierra Nevada, and desert in the southeast.

Across California, mountain chickadees typically nest from April–July. Nest site: cavity or nest box lined with fur. Females lay 5–9 eggs, incubate for 14 days, and young leave the nest after 18–21 days.

Dry summers with little rain from May to October; water and summer-blooming natives matter more than extra seed.

• Have boxes cleaned and mounted before March — mountain 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 July.

Of the regional native plants we track for California, these 8 provide food or cover mountain chickadees use:

Mountain Chickadees drop to lower-elevation towns in winter and readily use nest boxes.

• Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Suet, Peanut hearts.
• In California's winter: Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in.

Full diet breakdown for mountain chickadees · Best feeder for mountain chickadees