Chickadees, with their distinctive calls and energetic movements, are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders across North America. Their diet adapts seasonally, shifting from a primarily insect-based diet in warmer months to a greater reliance on seeds and other plant matter during winter. Understanding their preferred food choices can help attract these charming birds to your garden.
Top Seed Choices for Chickadees
Chickadees show a strong preference for certain seeds. Black oil sunflower seeds are a top choice, providing high energy with their rich fat content and thin shells that are easy for chickadees to crack. These seeds are often favored over striped sunflower seeds, which have thicker shells. Chickadees can skillfully hold a black oil sunflower seed with their feet and hammer it open with their beak.
Shelled peanuts are another highly attractive food source. Rich in protein and fat, they offer significant energy, particularly beneficial during colder periods. Chickadees often carry off a peanut piece to a nearby branch. While less preferred, nyjer seeds may also be eaten, as chickadees generally favor larger seeds they can manipulate more easily. Safflower seeds are also consumed, with their bitter taste often deterring other animals like squirrels.
Optimizing Seed Delivery
Providing seeds in appropriate feeders can increase visits from chickadees. Tube and hopper feeders are well-suited, allowing these small birds to access seeds easily. Platform feeders can also be effective, offering an open space for feeding. Some specialized feeders are designed to accommodate chickadees and similar small birds while deterring larger species.
Feeder placement is also important; positioning feeders near natural cover offers chickadees a sense of security and quick escape routes from predators. Ensuring feeder hygiene is important to prevent the spread of disease among birds. Feeders should be cleaned regularly, ideally every two weeks, or more frequently during wet weather or heavy use. A solution of nine parts water to one part bleach should be used for cleaning, followed by a thorough rinse and complete drying before refilling. Discarding old or moldy seeds and raking up accumulated hulls and droppings beneath feeders helps maintain a healthy feeding environment.
Complementary Food Sources
While seeds are a significant part of their diet, chickadees are omnivores and consume a variety of other foods. Insects form a large portion of their diet, particularly during the breeding season. Chickadees forage for insects by hopping among branches, gleaning food from surfaces, and sometimes catching them mid-air.
Suet is another good food source, providing high fat and protein. Chickadees readily visit suet feeders. They also consume berries and small fruits. These varied food sources ensure chickadees receive a balanced nutritional intake throughout the year.