Chickadees, small and active birds with distinctive calls, are frequent and welcome visitors to many backyards. Their widespread presence across North America makes them a common sight in various habitats, from forests to suburban gardens. Understanding their diet offers insight into their adaptability and resource needs. This knowledge highlights their ecosystem role and how feeder offerings can support them.
Wild Diet of Chickadees
In the wild, chickadees are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal matter. Their diet varies seasonally, reflecting resource availability. During warmer months, especially breeding season, their diet is primarily animal matter. Insects, spiders, and other invertebrates make up 80% to 90% of their intake. They forage for caterpillars, aphids, beetles, and insect eggs, gleaning them from tree bark and leaf undersides.
As temperatures cool and insect populations decline, chickadees shift to plant-based foods. In winter, plant matter like seeds and berries can account for up to 50% of their diet. They seek out seeds from conifers, birches, and other deciduous trees. Berries and small fruits also provide sustenance. They may also consume nectar, sap, or scavenge fat from animal carcasses, demonstrating opportunistic feeding.
Common Feeder Offerings
Many attract chickadees to their yards with bird feeders. Certain foods suit their dietary needs and preferences. Black oil sunflower seeds are a top choice, providing high fat and energy year-round. Shelled or chopped peanuts are another popular option, offering concentrated energy and healthy fats. Chickadees also readily consume suet, especially in colder months for extra calories. Nyjer seeds and safflower seeds can also be offered, though they may be less preferred than sunflower seeds.
Providing fresh, clean water is as important as food. Chickadees visit birdbaths for drinking and bathing; shallow water sources are best. When offering food, avoid items harmful to birds. Bread, processed foods, salted items, and chocolate lack nutritional value and can cause health issues. Avoid fruit pits and apple seeds, as they contain compounds toxic in large quantities.
Smart Foraging and Food Storage
Chickadees are active, agile foragers, constantly searching for food. They often hop among twigs and branches, frequently hanging upside down to access insects and seeds. Their ability to cling to surfaces allows them to exploit food sources other birds might miss. This includes gleaning insects from tree bark and leaves.
A notable behavior is food caching, where they hide individual food items for later consumption. This practice is common in fall and winter, helping them prepare for food scarcity. Chickadees can cache hundreds of seeds daily, tucking them into bark crevices, dead leaves, or under shingles. They demonstrate remarkable memory for these hidden stashes, often remembering them for weeks or months. Their spatial memory is supported by a brain region that processes locational information, enabling effective retrieval.