The chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens) is a small songbird found along the Pacific coast of North America. With their cute round bodies, black caps, and white cheeks, chestnut-backed chickadees are a delight to watch. Their acrobatic antics and sweet chick-a-dee call notes bring cheer to backyards and forests. If you live in their range, attracting chestnut-backed chickadees to your yard or garden can be rewarding and fun. Let’s explore some tips for enticing these active little birds.
What do chestnut-backed chickadees eat?
Chestnut-backed chickadees are omnivorous and will eat both plant and animal material. Their diet consists mainly of insects and other arthropods, seeds, nuts, and berries.
During spring and summer, they feed heavily on caterpillars, beetles, spiders, aphids, and other insects. They glean these from leaves, branches, and bark crevices.
In fall and winter, their diet shifts more to seeds and berries. Favored plants include dogwoods, willows, blackberry, salmonberry, snowberry, elderberry, and others. They will also readily eat seeds and nuts from bird feeders.
Provide bird feeders
One of the simplest ways to attract chestnut-backed chickadees is by providing bird feeders. Stock feeders with foods these birds like such as:
Black oil sunflower seeds
This is hands-down one of the top foods to offer chickadees at feeders. The small sunflower kernels are easy for their tiny beaks to crack open. Try to get black oil sunflower seeds without shells, or hulled sunflower seeds.
Suet
Suet is nutritionally dense and an excellent winter energy source for chickadees. Offer suet feeders or suet cages.
Peanuts
Chickadees relish shelled, chopped, or whole peanuts. Use mesh feeders that allow peanuts to drop through while preventing larger birds from stealing them.
Nyjer seed
The tiny nyjer seeds appeal to chickadees. Use specialty nyjer feeders with small ports they can access.
Mealworms
Live and dried mealworms are chickadee candy. Offer them in platform feeders or mesh bags.
| Food | Details |
|---|---|
| Black oil sunflower seeds | Get hulled sunflower seeds without shells |
| Suet | Offer suet feeders or cages |
| Peanuts | Use mesh feeders to serve whole, chopped, or shelled |
| Nyjer seed | Use specialty nyjer feeders with small ports |
| Mealworms | Offer live or dried in platform feeders or mesh bags |
Water
Chickadees need fresh water for drinking and bathing. Provide a birdbath, fountain, or other water source. Moving water that trickles or drips will be especially attractive.
Create snags and nesting sites
Chestnut-backed chickadees nest in tree cavities, either natural or excavated by woodpeckers. They also readily use nest boxes.
To provide additional nesting sites:
- Leave dead standing trees (snags) to provide natural cavities
- Put up nest boxes suitable for chickadees
- Retain fallen logs and branches which chickadees probe for insects
Ideal nest boxes for chickadees:
- 1-3 inch diameter entrance hole
- Hanging or mounted 6-15 feet high
- Avoid areas near feeders to prevent competition
Plant native vegetation
Landscape with native plants that provide:
- Insects for food
- Seeds, berries, and nuts
- Evergreen boughs for winter shelter
- Cavities for nesting
Some great native plants:
| Plant | Features |
|---|---|
| Dogwoods | Berries, insects, nesting sites |
| Willows | Catkins for food, insects |
| Oaks | Acorns, insects, cavities |
| Evergreen trees | Conifers for winter cover |
Avoid pesticides
Minimize or eliminate pesticide use in your yard and garden. Pesticides reduce insect numbers that chickadees rely on for food. They can also harm chickadees and other wildlife directly through poisoning.
Provide extra shelter and roost sites
Chickadees appreciate extra shelter, especially during cold winter months. You can help provide protected microclimates by:
- Planting dense hedges and shrubs
- Allowing brush and edge piles
- Putting up roost boxes
Evergreen shrubs and small roost boxes give chickadees a place to hunker down out of the wind and snow.
Use sounds to attract them
You can sometimes lure chickadees into your yard by using chickadee vocalizations. Options include:
- Playing recordings of chickadee calls
- Learning their calls and whistles yourself
Use these sparingly to avoid habituating wild birds. But practicing their whistles can announce your presence and attract them in.
Be patient
It may take some time for chickadees to discover and get accustomed to new feeders and habitat enhancements. Be patient, persistent, and consistent. Refine and adjust your approaches based on what seems to work best.
Conclusion
With a little effort, you can convert your yard or garden into a chestnut-backed chickadee haven. Focus on providing the right foods, nest sites, native plants, and shelters. Avoid pesticides and try to mimic natural chickadee habitats. Be patient and persistent. If you create a welcoming habitat, the chickadees will come. Enjoy watching the antics of these energetic little birds as they become regular visitors. Their cheerful presence will brighten your days.
