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Bird Identification

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Carolina Chickadee

Poecile carolinensis Length: 4.75"

Look For

The southern cousin of the Black-capped Chickadee is a near look-alike. Carolinas are smaller headed and less buffy on the sides. They also lack the Black-capped's white hockey stick pattern in the wing.

Listen for

The Carolina Chickadee's song is a highpitched, sweet fee-bee, fee-bay in four or more notes. The call is the familiar chickadee-dee-dee.

Remember

Our two common chickadees can be very hard to separate in the field. Range is the best way: In the North it is Black-capped, in the Southeast it's Carolina. Where the ranges meet, it's best to rely on field marks and not voice, since these species learn each other's songs.

Find it

Though they can be secretive during the breeding season, chickadees are active and vocal, often forming mixed-species feeding flocks with kinglets, nuthatches, and others. They prefer mixed woods, often with large trees.

Wow!

A Carolina Chickadee nesting in a nest box may hiss at you like a snake and strike at your finger as you check the nest. This behavior is meant to drive off nest predators.

This profile is an excerpt from The Young Birder's Guide by Bill Thompson, III. Purchase an autographed copy from our nature store, and check out other BWD titles designed to help you identify backyard birds.

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