Diet
What do black-capped chickadees eat?
Insects, spiders and larvae in summer; seeds, berries and cached food in winter.
Spring and summer diet
- Caterpillars, spiders and insect eggs
- Aphids and small beetles
Fall and winter diet
- Cached seeds and insect eggs
- Suet and sunflower at feeders
- Poison-ivy and bayberry fruit
Best feeder foods
- Black-oil sunflower
- Suet
- Shelled peanuts
- Hulled sunflower
Chickadees grab one seed, leave to hammer it open or hide it, then return. They are among the first to find a new feeder.
Where black-capped chickadees need winter food
Regions where black-capped chickadees are present in the cold months:
AlaskaAlbertaBritish ColumbiaColoradoConnecticutIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasMaineManitobaMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaOhioOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth DakotaUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWisconsinWyomingYukon
Frequently asked
What do black-capped chickadees eat?
Insects, spiders and larvae in summer; seeds, berries and cached food in winter.
What is the best food to feed black-capped chickadees?
Black-oil sunflower, Suet, Shelled peanuts, Hulled sunflower.
What do black-capped chickadees eat in winter?
Cached seeds and insect eggs; Suet and sunflower at feeders; Poison-ivy and bayberry fruit.
Sources
- Black-capped Chickadee — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-capped Chickadee life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-capped Chickadee — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
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.