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Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Bird · family Paridae · order Passeriformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Black-capped Chickadee
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mdf assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
39 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
11 years[4]

The Black-capped Chickadee is a bird in the family Paridae, order Passeriformes[5]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide, and it is native in 39 US states and territories[2][3].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Black-capped Chickadee a global rank of G5 (Secure) and a United States rank of N5 (Secure)[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data checked on 2026-10-30[1]. It is on the federal list of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected

Where Black-capped Chickadee lives

NatureServe lists this bird as native in 39 US states and territories[3]. They include Alaska, Maine, New York, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, and also the District of Columbia[3]. NatureServe state ranks differ from place to place, and the table on this page shows them[9].

Alaska: native, state rank S5AKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S5WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: native, state rank S5WAIdaho: native, state rank S5IDMontana: native, state rank S5MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank SNRNDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5MAOregon: native, state rank S5ORNevada: native, state rank SNANVWyoming: native, state rank S5B,S5NWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5B,S5NSDIowa: native, state rank S5BIAIndiana: native, state rank S4INOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5BPANew Jersey: native, state rank S4B,S4NNJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank S5BRICalifornia: native, state rank S3CAUtah: native, state rank S5UTColorado: native, state rank S5CONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S5B,S5NWVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S4MDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: native, state rank S1BAZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3B,S4NNMKansas: native, state rank S5KSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: native, state rank S2BTNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S3NCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S1NDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[9].
Show state ranks (39 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaS5Secure
ArizonaS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
CaliforniaS3Vulnerable
ColoradoS5Secure
ConnecticutS5Secure
District of ColumbiaS1NCritically Imperiled (nonbreeding)
IdahoS5Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS4Apparently Secure
IowaS5BSecure (breeding)
KansasS5Secure
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS4Apparently Secure
MassachusettsS5Secure
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MissouriSNRNot Ranked
MontanaS5Secure
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaSNANot Applicable
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New MexicoS3B,S4NVulnerable (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS3Vulnerable
North DakotaSNRNot Ranked
OhioS5Secure
OregonS5Secure
PennsylvaniaS5BSecure (breeding)
Rhode IslandS5BSecure (breeding)
South DakotaS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
TennesseeS2BImperiled (breeding)
UtahS5Secure
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS5Secure
West VirginiaS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
WisconsinS5Secure
WyomingS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)

Habitat

NatureServe records forests and woodlands of hardwood or mixed trees, shrubland, old fields, suburban areas and riparian (streamside) habitat[10]. The notes also mention willow thickets and cottonwood groves[11]. For nesting, both sexes dig a cavity in a tree, often a dead tree or a rotten branch[11]. It may also use an old woodpecker hole or a bird box[11].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[10]

Size, diet and lifespan

Adults are about 13 cm (5 in)[12] long and weigh about 11 g[13]. They eat mostly insects and other small invertebrates, plus seeds and fruits[14][15]. A clutch is 5 to 10 eggs, usually 6 to 8[16]. Incubation usually lasts 12 to 13 days, and both parents tend the young, which fledge 12 to 16 days after hatching[16]. The oldest known wild bird from banding records was at least 11 years 9 months old[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[12] 13 cm (5 in)
Typical adult weight[13] 11 g (0.4 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[17] 12.4 years (wild)
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 11 years 9 months
Litter or clutch size[18] 7
Gestation or incubation[19] 12 days
Female maturity[20] 180 days (about 0.5 years)
Food habits[15] Invertivore, Granivore, Frugivore
Migration[21] non-migrant

When to look for it

The Black-capped Chickadee is diurnal, which means it is active during the day[22]. NatureServe lists it as a non-migrant, though populations can differ[21]. Nesting dates vary by place[16]. On GBIF, the most records fall in February, April and May[23]. These records show when people look and report, not how many birds there are[23].

January: 1,077,773 recordsJanFebruary: 1,219,773 recordsFebMarch: 1,134,246 recordsMarApril: 1,507,753 recordsAprMay: 1,779,270 recordsMayJune: 832,129 recordsJunJuly: 793,524 recordsJulAugust: 859,990 recordsAugSeptember: 1,048,721 recordsSepOctober: 1,041,594 recordsOctNovember: 921,213 recordsNovDecember: 957,658 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[23].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January1,077,773
February1,219,773
March1,134,246
April1,507,753
May1,779,270
June832,129
July793,524
August859,990
September1,048,721
October1,041,594
November921,213
December957,658

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Black-capped Chickadee as present in 97 park units[24]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 73 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington[25]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Black-capped Chickadee endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) globally[2].
Where does the Black-capped Chickadee live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 39 US states and territories, including Alaska, Maine, New York, Oregon and Washington[3]. It lives in forests, woodlands, old fields and wooded suburbs[10][11].
What does the Black-capped Chickadee eat?
Mostly insects and other small invertebrates[14]. It also takes seeds and fruits[14][15].
How big is a Black-capped Chickadee?
It is about 13 cm (5 in)[12] long and weighs about 11 g[13].
How long does a Black-capped Chickadee live?
The oldest known wild bird from banding records was at least 11 years 9 months old[4]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. Black-capped Chickadee is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Black-capped Chickadee: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Black-capped Chickadee as native in 39 US states and territories: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Black-capped Chickadee from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 11 years 9 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a bird in the family Paridae, order Passeriformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Black-capped Chickadee is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. NatureServe state ranks for Black-capped Chickadee (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  10. Habitat types NatureServe records for Black-capped Chickadee: Forest - hardwood, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - mixed, Shrubland/chaparral, Old field, Suburban/orchard, Riparian. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe notes on habitat for Black-capped Chickadee. NatureServe Explorer
  12. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 13 cm (5 in). NatureServe Explorer
  13. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 11 g (0.4 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Black-capped Chickadee. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore, Granivore, Frugivore. NatureServe Explorer
  16. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Black-capped Chickadee. NatureServe Explorer
  17. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 12.4 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 7. AnAge
  19. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 12 days. AnAge
  20. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 180 days (about 0.5 years). AnAge
  21. NatureServe migration category for Black-capped Chickadee: non-migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  22. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  23. GBIF observation records of Black-capped Chickadee in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  24. NPSpecies park lists recording Black-capped Chickadee as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  25. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Black-capped Chickadee: New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mdf assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.