Black-Capped Chickadee

Photo by Linette Layne on Wikimedia

​Poecile atricapillus
 
I group Black-capped Chickadees in the “common birds we didn’t have in California” category along with Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. You see them on bird-themed home décor and Christmas cards, but they were a mystery to me. I even paid extra for a wildlife-themed license plate that has a Chickadee on it, but I still didn’t know much about them.

I do now!

Since spring has been starting to sprung, I’ve been seeing them in the tree right outside my office window. I had painted dots on my window to prevent window collisions, but these darn male Chickadees see their reflections in the window and keep attacking themselves. They do it all the time, but when I tried to get a photo for this post, no luck. I realize they are being territorial because it is mating season, but it’s stressing me out. I’m worried they are going to hurt themselves! I’m open to ideas on how to keep them from doing this without covering my window.

Attacking their reflections aside, I really like them! Even Cornell’s “All About Birds” calls them cute because of their big heads and tiny bodies, as well as their curiosity. They also don’t have any problem living around humans.

If you live in the northern half of North America, minus the tundra, you can attract Chickadees to your backyard with suet and sunflowers. They are also insect eaters. As cavity nesters, they might also be enticed by an old-fashioned bird house.

I enjoy my Chickadee friends and will probably continue to scold the males for attacking my window. 

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