SCIENTIFIC NAME
Poecile atricapillus
DESCRIPTION
Black-capped Chickadees are small birds that measure 12 to 15 centimetres long. They have grey backs, a black cap that covers their eyes, white cheeks and a black triangular bib on the throat. Their stomachs are white with buff along the sides and their wings and tail are dark grey with white edging.
RANGE
The Black-capped Chickadee is found throughout Canada, from the island of Newfoundland to British Columbia (except for the coastal islands) and extends northwards into the southern Yukon and Northwest Territories.
HABITAT
It lives in tree-covered areas — including woodlots and orchards — where it digs its nest-holes in the soft or rotting wood of The Black-capped Chickadee lives in forests, orchards and other areas with lots of trees, including many urban areas. trees and finds the food it prefers.
DIET
The Black-capped Chickadee eats a mixture of seeds, insects and spiders. About 80 to 90 percent of its diet consists of invertebrates during the breeding season, and about 50 percent during the winter. They will eat insects, such as weevils, lice, sawflies in their various stages from egg to adulthood. When food is abundant, the chickadee hides pieces of food all over its territory for times of decreased food availability.
BEHAVIOUR
undefinedPRIMARY ECOSYSTEM ROLES
The Black-capped Chickadee’s main predators include bird-hunting hawks and the Northern Shrike. In addition, snakes, weasels, mice, chipmunks and squirrels will often steal eggs during breeding season. Because their diet consists primarily of insects, these birds are important for pest control.
