蜜桃恋人

Bird Sounds: Black-Capped Chickadee

The bold little chickadee is a welcome sight at any feeder.

Photo Credit
Photo by USFWS Mountain-Prairie via Wikimedia Commons

Black-capped Chickadee Calls

Tom Warren
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Here you can identify the sounds and birdsong of the black-capped chickadee. You may recognize their 鈥渃hick-a-dee-dee-ee鈥 or the whistled 鈥渇ee-bee.鈥

  1. Listen first for the two-note whistle of the male black-capped chickadee. It’s a very clear two-note song that drops in pitch and sounds like 鈥fee-bee.鈥 Now you know that THAT sound is! The males begin singing in mid-January, and the song increases in frequency as winter progresses. Females also sing occasionally.
  2. Then, listen for the chickadee call which sounds like 鈥chickadee-dee-dee.鈥  Interestingly, they will use an increasing numbers of dee notes when they are alarmed.

If you wish to attract the friendly chickadee, they will readily visit bird feeders and especially like sunflower seeds or suet in winter. You may see them take the food and fly away to store in a tree crevice for later.

Their diet is mostly seeds, insects, and berries. They can been seen hopping among branches and foraging for food, even flying out to catch insects mid-air.

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The bird sounds is complimentary, with permission from  Click here to listen to the sounds of other birds!

Have you heard a Black-Capped Chickadee? Add your comments below. Be sure to let us know where you live or where you’ve heard this bird sound before!

Bird Sounds
About The Author

Tom Warren

Tom Warren is a lifelong bird enthusiast. Tom is also committed to protecting birds and their habitat as a Trustee for both Massachusetts and聽New Hampshire Audubon, and聽the Harris Nature Center. Read More from Tom Warren
 

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Comments

Jeanne Simmons (not verified)

4 years 7 months ago

I鈥檓 in NEPA (northeast Pennsylvania). We have a group of chickadees that stays year round. There is one extremely friendly bird that flies along with me from the shed to the shelves where I put the seed. He/she talks to me and I answer back...love it! Was wondering about who does the fee-bee call. Now I know, thanks!

Yvonne (not verified)

4 years 7 months ago

I live in the thumb area of Michigan, and have had a few Chickadees fly within inches of my head. Some Chickadees sit on the deck railing a few feet away as I'm filling the feeder. They're such cute little birds, and I love watching them.

Shannon (not verified)

4 years 7 months ago

I live in Baton Rouge Louisiana and we have chickadees that chirp 4 notes. It鈥檚 very mockingjay.

Keith (not verified)

4 years 9 months ago

I live in Ontario. I've heard both these calls all my life. I have often whistled the "fee-bee" call back when I have heard it, especially on quiet early morning strolls. It was very easy for me to recognise who was making the "chickadee-dee-dee-dee-dee", but who was making the "fee-bee" has always been a mystery to me, until today. Thank you. Chickadees are one of the relatively few bird species that keep us company throughout the long, cold, sometimes dreary winters here.

aaron (not verified)

6 years 5 months ago

have always admired the chickadee, black capped predominantly here in south east alberta. had known that a pair had been nesting in yard, but left well enough along as with all. one morning a call that sounded as that of a very young robin been coaxed from nest asking for food. was actually chickadee just out of nest, with parent coaxing it along. youngsters "call" was a fast, quick "chickadee a dee" but only one "dee".

Cassandra cary (not verified)

6 years 6 months ago

Does the low two-note call mean rain?

Chickadees use the two-note fee-bee call to communicate a variety of messages. When it’s loud, it’s usually related to males interested in attracting a mate or related to standing ground on its territory. When it’s softer, it’s often by one of the mated pair, either just calling to each other (鈥渉ere I am鈥) or telling each other to take a turn getting food. If there’s any danger, they’ll use the 鈥渃hickadee-dee-dee鈥 call.

Karen Mueller (not verified)

6 years 7 months ago

I live in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) Minnesota. I get the pleasure of hearing them all year long! Probably the sweetest sound a bird can make comes from the Chickadee! I love when I hear them call out to each other.

Rise Briggs (not verified)

6 years 7 months ago

I talk to my black-capped chickadees just about every day....they tell me whey need suet or the bird feeder is getting low...

Susie Garcia (not verified)

6 years 7 months ago

I am blessed this little rascal comes on my TREE for almost 2 years NOW. So Beautiful and Enertaining. I live in California