Massachusetts State Bird
Black-capped Chickadee

• Official Massachusetts State Bird: Black-capped Chickadee
• Family: Paridae, Chickadees & Titmice
• Scientific name: Poecile atricappilus
• Length: 5.25" (13 cm)
• Diet: Insects, seeds, fruit, spiders and their eggs.
• Voice: Listen to Black-capped Chickadee song. (recorded by Cornell Lab of Ornithology) Song of most populations a simple, high, pure whistle freebee, with second note lower than first and relative pitch of two notes constant; sometimes sounds three-noted, second part broken by slight falter but no real temporal break fee beeyee. Common and familiar call chickadee dee dee dee. Contact call a sharp chik or tsik slightly harsh, often leading into chick-a-dee call. Gargle call a complex, descending jumble of short notes and alarm a very high, thin series teeteeteeteetee; both similar in all chickadees.
• Habitat: Mixed and deciduous woods; willow thickets, groves, shade trees, clearings, suburbs. Usually forages in thickets, low branches of trees.
• Displays: Courtship: simple pursuit of female by male.
• Number of broods: 1
• Nest: Excavates or enlarges snag cavity usually 4-8', but up to 40' above ground; rarely in coniferous tree; lined with plant down, moss, feathers, hair, insect cocoons.
• Eggs: 6-8 white, finely marked with reddish browns. 0.6" (16 mm)
• Incubation period: 11-13 days
• Fledge: 14-18 days after hatching
• Longevity Record: 12 Years and 5 months (according to USGS Bird Banding Lab)

The Black-Capped Chickadee was adopted as the official Massachusetts State Bird by the legislature on March 21, 1941.

The Chickadee is also the Maine State Bird.

Massachusetts State Bird Books

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