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Bird Sounds: Black-Capped Chickadee

The bold little chickadee is a welcome sight at any feeder.

Image Credit:
Photo by USFWS Mountain-Prairie via Wikimedia Commons
Written By: Tom Warren Birder

Here you can identify the sounds and birdsong of the black-capped chickadee. You may recognize their “chick-a-dee-dee-ee” or the whistled “fee-bee.”

  1. Listen first for the two-note whistle of the male black-capped chickadee. It’s a very clear two-note song that drops in pitch and sounds like “fee-bee.” Now you know what THAT sound is! The males begin singing in mid-January, and the song increases in frequency as winter progresses. Females also sing occasionally.
  2. Then, listen for the chickadee call which sounds like “chickadee-dee-dee.“  Interestingly, they will use an increasing numbers of dee notes when they are alarmed.

If you wish to attract the friendly chickadee, they will readily visit bird feeders and especially like sunflower seeds or suet in winter. You may see them take the food and fly away to store in a tree crevice for later.

Their diet is mostly seeds, insects, and berries. They can been seen hopping among branches and foraging for food, even flying out to catch insects mid-air.

The bird sounds are complimentary, with permission from The Macaulay Library at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Click here to listen to the sounds of other birds!

Have you heard a black-capped chickadee? Add your comments below. Be sure to let us know where you live or where you’ve heard this bird sound before!

Bird Sounds

About The Author

Tom Warren

Tom Warren

Birder

Tom Warren is a graduate of Harvard College and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After serving in the US Army, he became a compensation professional. He has had...

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Comments

<span>Linda</span> Mon, 06/26/2017 - 16:01
First time this year to see and hear comes often to my feeder. I live in Sugar Land Texas. The house finch also new this year but the Starlings are gone.
<span>Cindy</span> Fri, 03/23/2018 - 20:23
I live in the Western North Carolina Mountains.....and recently set up a new feeder.... with Black Oil Sunflower Seed. The very first bird to come was the Black Capped Chickadee... after only one day. A few days later... came the Junco... and then the Tufted Titmouse. I love the birds.......watching and listening to them is just so rewarding.......
<span>Patricia Stapleton</span> Wed, 07/26/2017 - 03:15
Well, after all those comments from USA and Canada, I am writing from Western Australia, a city of Gosnells. I am sure the 'strange' bird in my garden is this delightful bird and its song is quite shrill and short. Thank you for helping me find out what it is.
<span>Lisa Paglieron…</span> Mon, 05/29/2017 - 14:01
I live in Merrimack,N.H. and recently realized the Black-capped Chickadee is responsible for singing that beautiful song. I have two bird houses, this year one has House Wrens and the other has the Black capped Chickadee.
<span>Brett</span> Sun, 05/14/2017 - 12:16
I hear these birds in Colorado. We caught them on audio when filming. Their mournful song fit so well with the theme of the short film that we kept it in at the end.
<span>Sandy</span> Sat, 05/06/2017 - 10:51
I live in eastern Nebraska and I have seen these birds a lot, and I heard this sound and wondered for a such a long time what bird made this sound. I never connected the two. I am so glad to know this information.
<span>Ginny</span> Tue, 05/02/2017 - 19:41
I live in Minnesota and have been hearing this beautiful call, not sure of its owner! Now I know. So enjoying our spring friends flying about, singing. Best music!
<span>Cathy</span> Tue, 05/02/2017 - 08:22
Hi, I have black capped chickadees in my neighborhood but have been hearing them at 2 and 3 in the morning...as I have had them before when I lived much further north I was rather alarmed to hear their calls at such an odd time...is this natural for bccs to sing at that time of day?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/02/2017 - 12:32

Hi Cathy,

There's nothing to be alarmed about. Chickadees, as well as many other birds, are very active at this time of year searching for mates, marking territory, and making nests. Male songbirds are most active in the early morning hours before dawn because they are either singing to impress females, or are telling other nearby birds to stay away from their nesting area. It's completely natural. 

 <span>Laura</span> Wed, 04/26/2017 - 12:25
I always knew where the chick-a-dee-dee-dee sound came from, but couldn't figure out which bird sang the two-note mournful song...I'm so happy to finally know. It is my favorite bird song and we have plenty of chickadees here in central Maine.