blackcapper chickadee backyard 7-4-2008 (27)

Chickadee

Widespread and common, and numbers apparently stable, possibly increasing in some areas.

Mixed and deciduous woods; willow thickets, groves, shade trees. 

This is a very popular bird across the northern United States and southern Canada, always welcomed at bird feeders, where it may take sunflower seeds one at time and fly away to stuff them into bark crevices.

Mostly insects, seeds, and berries. Diet varies with season; vegetable matter (seeds and fruits) may be no more than 10% of diet in summer, up to 50% in winter. Summer diet is mostly caterpillars and other insects, also some spiders, snails, and other invertebrates; also eats berries.

A buzzy chick-a-dee-dee-dee or a clear, whistled fee-bee, the second note lower and often doubled.