Perch Supply
Nest box specification

Black-capped Chickadee house dimensions

The Black-capped Chickadee nests in excavates or reuses cavities in soft, rotting wood; readily uses nest boxes A box built to its measurements — and no bigger — is what makes it choose yours.

Black-capped Chickadee perched on a bare branch
Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

The specifications

Entrance hole
1 1/8 in round
Floor (inside)
4 × 4 in
Mounting height
5–15 ft
Bird size
4.7–5.9 in, 0.3–0.5 oz
Clutch
1–13 eggs (usually 6–8)
Incubation
11–14 days
Time in nest
12–16 days
Broods
1 per season

Build and mounting checklist

  • Drill the entrance to exactly 1 1/8 in round — oversized holes let in European Starlings and larger predators.
  • No outside perch: cavity nesters don't need one, and it helps House Sparrows and predators.
  • Unpainted interior, 3/4-inch untreated wood (cedar or pine) or poly-lumber for insulation.
  • Drainage holes in the floor corners and ventilation gaps under the roof.
  • A side or front panel that opens so you can monitor and clean the box.
  • Rough or grooved inner front wall so nestlings can climb out.
  • Pole mount with a stovepipe or cone baffle to stop snakes, raccoons and cats.

When to put up a Black-capped Chickadee box, by state

Boxes should be up and clean a month before local nesting starts. Dates shift with latitude:

PlaceUp byNestingClean out
ColoradoMarchApril–JulyAugust
ConnecticutMarchApril–JulyAugust
IdahoMarchApril–JulyAugust
IllinoisMarchApril–JulyAugust
IndianaMarchApril–JulyAugust
IowaMarchApril–JulyAugust
KansasMarchApril–JulyAugust
MassachusettsMarchApril–JulyAugust
MichiganMarchApril–JulyAugust
MissouriMarchApril–JulyAugust
NebraskaMarchApril–JulyAugust
NevadaMarchApril–JulyAugust
New JerseyMarchApril–JulyAugust
New MexicoMarchApril–JulyAugust
New YorkMarchApril–JulyAugust
OhioMarchApril–JulyAugust
OregonMarchApril–JulyAugust
PennsylvaniaMarchApril–JulyAugust
Rhode IslandMarchApril–JulyAugust
South DakotaMarchApril–JulyAugust
UtahMarchApril–JulyAugust
WashingtonMarchApril–JulyAugust
AlaskaAprilMay–JulyAugust
AlbertaAprilMay–JulyAugust
British ColumbiaAprilMay–JulyAugust
MaineAprilMay–JulyAugust
ManitobaAprilMay–JulyAugust
MinnesotaAprilMay–JulyAugust
MontanaAprilMay–JulyAugust
New BrunswickAprilMay–JulyAugust
New HampshireAprilMay–JulyAugust
Newfoundland and LabradorAprilMay–JulyAugust
North CarolinaAprilMay–JuneJuly
North DakotaAprilMay–JulyAugust
Northwest TerritoriesAprilMay–JulyAugust
Nova ScotiaAprilMay–JulyAugust
OntarioAprilMay–JulyAugust
Prince Edward IslandAprilMay–JulyAugust
QuebecAprilMay–JulyAugust
SaskatchewanAprilMay–JulyAugust
VermontAprilMay–JulyAugust
VirginiaAprilMay–JuneJuly
WisconsinAprilMay–JulyAugust
WyomingAprilMay–JulyAugust
YukonAprilMay–JulyAugust

Full Black-capped Chickadee species guide →

Frequently asked

What size hole does a Black-capped Chickadee need?

1 1/8 in round. A hole cut to this size admits the Black-capped Chickadee (4.7–5.9 in) while keeping out larger competitors.

How big should a Black-capped Chickadee house be inside?

A floor of 4 × 4 in. The Black-capped Chickadee lays 1–13 eggs (usually 6–8), so the floor has to hold the full clutch plus growing nestlings.

How high should I mount a Black-capped Chickadee box?

5–15 ft. Mount on a pole with a predator baffle where possible rather than a tree or fence.

How long does a Black-capped Chickadee use the box?

Incubation takes 11–14 days and the young stay in the nest 12–16 days. Broods per year: 1 per season.

Sources

  1. Black-capped Chickadee — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Black-capped Chickadee life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Black-capped Chickadee — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
  4. 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.