Kinds of Chickadees

Chickadees are small birds that are native to the Americas. The birds tend to have a distinctive body shape that includes a rotund body with a small neck and a large, rounded head. Chickadees are members of the passeriformes, or perching bird order, and are closely related to the titmice family.

  1. Black-Capped Chickadee

    • The black-capped chickadee grows to 6 inches long, 1/2 oz. in weight and has a wingspan of just over 8 inches. It has dark black patches on its head and throat and is mainly light brown to buff in color with grayish-brown wings. It lives throughout much of North America, from central Alaska as far south as New Mexico.

    Carolina Chickadee

    • The Carolina chickadee looks a lot like the black-capped variety, but is slightly more gray in color. It grows to around 5 inches in length, less than 1/2 oz. in weight and has a wingspan of less than 8 inches. It lives in the southeastern U.S. year round. Carolina and black-capped chickadees are known to crossbreed wherever they share habitats.

    Chestnut-Backed Chickadee

    • The chestnut-backed chickadee resembles the black-capped variety from the neck up, but its back is a dark chestnut color. The bird's flanks are a darker brown color. It is similar in size to the Carolina chickadee, with a slightly smaller wingspan. It lives along the west coast of the U.S., from southern Alaska into northern California and west into Montana.

    Mountain Chickadee

    • The mountain chickadee has the black and white head of other species, but has a white stripe above each eye that identifies it against other types. Its body and wing color is similar to that of the black-capped variety. It grows to 5 1/2 inches in length and just under 1/2 oz. in weight. It lives in Canada as well as the western U.S. in parts of Arizona and Texas.

    Boreal Chickadee

    • The boreal chickadee stands out from other species by having a dark brown cap instead of the usual black. Its throat is black like other species, and it has a brown back with a white chest and belly. It grows to 5 1/2 inches long and just under 1/2 oz. in weight. It lives in the most northern parts of the U.S. and into Canada.