Mountain Chickadees in New Mexico

Mountain Chickadees live in New Mexico all year. Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward pine and fir seeds.

Arid to semi-arid, with Chihuahuan desert in the south and mountain forest above 7,000 ft.

Across New Mexico, 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.

Hot, dry early summer followed by the July–August monsoon.

• 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 New Mexico, 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 New Mexico's winter: Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations.

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