How to Attract Chickadees to Your Feeder
Chickadees are curious, bold and often the very first birds to find a new feeder. They stay all year and travel in small flocks, so once they find you, other birds tend to follow.
What chickadees eat
Black-oil sunflower, suet and shelled peanuts are chickadee favorites. They typically grab one seed, fly to a branch to hammer it open, and come back for another.
They also hide seeds to eat later, which is why a chickadee can make so many trips to the feeder.
If you only buy one seed, make it black-oil sunflower. It's high in fat, has a thin shell small birds can open, and nearly every seed-eating bird loves it.
Check price on Amazon for Wagner's Black Oil Sunflower Seed (opens Amazon)High-fat suet cakes that fit standard suet cages. Woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees rely on fat like this to get through cold nights.
Check price on Amazon for C&S Hi-Energy Suet Cakes (opens Amazon)The feeders chickadees like
Chickadees use almost any feeder: tubes, hoppers, suet cages and even window feeders. A squirrel-proof tube keeps the sunflower for them.
The same weight-activated idea in a smaller, cheaper size. A great first squirrel-proof feeder for chickadees, titmice and finches.
Check price on Amazon for Brome Squirrel Buster Standard (opens Amazon)Suction cups hold this clear feeder right on your window for the closest views you'll ever get, no yard needed. Perfect for apartments and indoor cats who love the show.
Check price on Amazon for Nature's Hangout Window Bird Feeder (opens Amazon)Put up a nest box
Chickadees nest in tree cavities and readily use nest boxes. A box with a 1 1/8 inch entrance hole, placed 5 to 15 feet up in a quiet, partly shaded spot, suits them well. The small hole keeps out larger birds.
Leaving dead branches or snags standing, where safe, also gives them natural places to nest.
Winter is their busy season
In winter, chickadees lead mixed flocks with titmice, nuthatches and downy woodpeckers. High-fat foods like suet and sunflower help them survive cold nights.
Woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees happily hang upside down to eat. Starlings and grackles mostly don't, so the suet goes to the birds you want.
Check price on Amazon for Birds Choice Upside-Down Suet Feeder (opens Amazon)Frequently asked questions
Can chickadees be hand-fed?
Yes. With patience, many chickadees will take sunflower seeds from an outstretched hand. Stand still near the feeder with seed in your palm.
Why does a chickadee take one seed and leave?
It flies off to crack the seed open or hide it for later, then returns. It's normal behavior.
Do chickadees migrate?
No. They stay year-round, which makes them reliable feeder visitors in every season.
Not sure which feeder fits your yard?
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