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Description
The Carolina Chickadee is nearly identical to
the Blacked-Capped Chickadee but is slightly
smaller and lacking the conspicuous white area
in wing created by white feather edges. The bib
area is small and more sharply
defined.
The State Bird Of: Maine &
Massachusetts
Size: 4.5” (11 cm)
Voice: “Chickadee” call
of the Carolina Chickadee is higher pitched and
more rapid than that of the Black Capped
Chickadee. The two noted whistle of the Blacked
Capped is replaced by a four syllable Fee-Bee,
Fee-Bay.
Distribution &
Habitat
Their habitat is mixed or
deciduous woods in the United States from New
Jersey west to southern Kansas and south to
Florida and Texas. There is a gap in the
range at high altitudes in the Appalachian
Mountains where they are replaced by their
otherwise more northern relative, the
Black-capped
Chickadee.
Feeding Habits
Carolina
Chickadees make insects a large part of
their diet, especially in summer. In the
winter, seeds and berries become more
important and many visit birdfeeders. At
times, they may hammer seeds on a tree or shrub
to open them; they also will store seeds for
later use.
Breeding and Nesting
Habits
Carolina Chickadees nest in a hole in a tree or
in wooden
birdhouses. They generally lay five to
eight white eggs with red brown markings. Both
sexes incubate the eggs for 11 to 12 days. The
young will fledge 13-17 days later.
Carolina Chickadees may interbreed with the
Black-capped Chickadees where the ranges
overlap, which can make identification
difficult.
Range Map
Approximate range/distribution map
of the Carolina Chickadee (Parus
carolinensis).
Yellow indicates the summer-only range, blue
indicates the winter-only range, and green
indicates the year-round range of the
species.
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