These energetic and highly vocal birds are a welcome and frequent sight at bird feeders.

The North 40 region is home to four species of chickadee, and unless you live far from any trees, at least one of these four species should be flitting in the woods around your home.

The Black-capped Chickadee

Photo by Furntree - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7053199"

This is the most common and widespread chickadee and can be found throughout Washington, Idaho, and Montana. They can be found in coniferous and deciduous woodlands along waterways. They thrive in urban areas as well. They can be separated from other chickadees by their solid black cap and throat, with a distinct white cheek patch running forward to the bill. Additionally, they have diffuse white wing edges that form a pale wing patch, when folded, and buff colored flanks. They also have a distinct coarse voice different from other chickadees.

The Mountain Chickadee

Photo by Peter Wallack - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7505111"

Aptly named, this species of chickadee resides exclusively in the drier mountain pine forest. However, as winter approaches some individuals will abandon their mountain homes and head for lower elevation foothills. They will even make their way out onto the plains, where they often join the company of Black-capped Chickadees. Mountain Chickadees are easy to identify with their unique white eyebrow, giving them a somewhat angry look, distinguishing them from all other chickadee species in the region. Their voice is very scratchy and fainter than other species of chickadee.

The Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Photo by Thom Quine, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11048727"

The most energetic and social of the chickadees is the Chestnut-backed Chickadee. They can be found in the dense coniferous forests of northeast Washington, northern Idaho, or western Montana. They also frequent urban areas in this region as well. These chickadees often travel in large flocks of several to more than a dozen individuals, and they never seem to sit still, or stop chatting amongst each other. They have similar facial features to the Black-capped, but are noticeably smaller. However, what most sets them apart is their flanks and back that are richly colored with a deep chestnut or rust color. The voice of Chestnut-backed Chickadees is nasally and intermixed with sharp staccato chirps. You will hear them long before you see them.

The Boreal Chickadee

Photo by David Mitchell - _MG_7389.jpg?format=pjpg by innotata, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?urid=11766777"

If you happen to live where this chickadee lives, you'll probably be spending more time shoveling snow than watching birds. The Boreal Chickadee is primarily a bird of Canadian and Alaskan forests. A few can be found in the high mountains of northeast Washington and across the extreme to northern Montana. The Boreal Chickadee is the only chickadee in North America with a brown cap but retains the black bib that all other chickadees possess. The back is a pale brown with warm buff sides, making it the least sharply dressed chickadee species.

How do you bring Chickadees to you?

Chickadees will readily visit bird feeders. Once they find your bird feeders, they will not soon forget where they are. This is because during the fall and early part of the winter, the part of the chickadee's brain responsible for mapping and memory, the hippocampus, grows by up to 30 percent. This helps them remember where food sources are located.

Additionally, chickadee's, like squirrels, will take seeds and cache or store them for later use.

Don't have a bird feeder? Check these out.

Chickadees are especially fond of black oil sunflowers seeds and can easily break the thin shells on this form of sunflower. In addition to sunflowers they love safflower seeds and will readily accept shelled sunflowers, safflowers, and peanuts. As winter progresses and temperatures dip energy demands for these little birds increases.

High energy foods like suet or peanut butter smeared on a log or special suet feeders will attract chickadees as well the birds that frequently accompany them in mixed flocks such as kinglets, nuthatches, and woodpeckers.

Need the right food for your bird feeder? Check out our selection here.

Be sure and let us know what chickadee species you have at your feeders, or share your favorite chickadee story in the comments below. Have questions? Use the form below and we will work to get back to you within 24-hours.