Mountain Chickadees in Colorado

Mountain Chickadees live in Colorado all year. Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward pine and fir seeds.

Semi-arid high plains in the east and the Rocky Mountains through the center, with most backyards between 5,000 and 7,000 ft.

Across Colorado, mountain chickadees typically nest from May–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.

Warm, dry days and cool nights; afternoon storms are common in July and August.

• Have boxes cleaned and mounted before April — 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 Colorado, 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 Colorado's winter: Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly.

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