For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

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...

Read more from Tom Warren

More Like This

Comments

<span>Anthony Alvarado</span> Fri, 09/20/2013 - 18:21
OH MY GOD! I have heard this bird since I was like 6. I've made a promise that I would find this birds name. we have a nest in a bush next to the driveway but they left. AND I FINALLY FOUND IT'S NAME. I would have never guessed! :D :D :D :D
<span>Mandy Brasseaux</span> Sat, 06/22/2013 - 18:10
I've been listening to these birds & their babies for the past couple days (they're a talkative little bunch)! We have a little bird house hanging on the porch and 2 days ago I noticed it was full of tiny babies (5 total & I even named them)! I've been sitting on the porch just watching the mom and dad go back & forth, all day long. Got a few good pics and video though! This is the 1st time I have witnessed anything like this & it is quite amazing! See the links below for video :)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix-AMfuhMig&feature=youtube_gdata_player https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JhgXe1WyCA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
<span>Jennifer O'neil</span> Wed, 04/24/2013 - 08:16
I'm so excited to have finally found the source of what I have always referred to as my "sweetheart" bird. To me it always sounds as if they are calling out sweeeet heart. Even when I've pointed the call out when I've heard to those who know plenty about calls & nature etc, they never seem to know.
<span>Bird Call</span> Mon, 04/08/2013 - 15:41
Thanks to this site I now know what bird species makes this beautiful sound. I have always wondered and now I know. I swear the little guy answers me when I whistle back. Probably my imagination. Southeastern Minnesota.
<span>Sharon99</span> Thu, 05/09/2013 - 20:12
I'm sure they are answering you back! My husband whistles to them and they answer back. We have so many of these it would be hard to count how many. They love the suet that we put out. We live in northeastern Oklahoma
<span>1Lizette1</span> Sun, 05/20/2012 - 11:31
I keep hearing a bird singing in the morning and I think it might be a Black-capped Chickadee but this bird adds a few notes. It sounds just like your sample (the 1st 2 calls = 2 notes = "fee-bee fee-bee") but this bird adds fee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee (where the "bee" is sang quickly). I'm in Bracebridge,ON (about 1.5 hrs drive north of Toronto,ON)
<span>Barbara Baily</span> Tue, 10/08/2013 - 17:38
Did you ever find out whether your bird ( singing "fee-bee-bee-bee-bee") was a black-capped chickadee? I have a country home about 1.75 hrs north of Montreal, QC and have heard this bird for years. (Other possibility: white-throated sparrow??)
<span>Birder</span> Sun, 11/04/2012 - 13:15
I just heard a similar call to the one you described except it had one less "bee" in it. I am in Oregon.
<span>Rnursemaid</span> Mon, 04/14/2014 - 13:42
I just heard a bird that sounds like what you describe as well. I thought it sounded like a this bird, but it adds a few more notes as well.
<span>Rnursemaid</span> Mon, 04/14/2014 - 13:45
It is a white-throated sparrow!! I saw the comment above and found out. How precious it sounds. I have heard these birds here in Mississippi for years. Now I know what they are!