Carolina Chickadee

Poecile carolinensis

Explore this bird

Identification

12 cm (5") Common. Southeastern United States. Open deciduous woods, suburbs.

Small bird with a black cap and throat. White cheeks.

Overlaps with nearly identical Black-capped Chickadee in northern part of its range.

Best told by its distinctive voice.

Song: "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call is higher and faster than Black-cap's and song is a four-note whistled "fee-bee fee-bay".

Details in the field

4 photos

Credit: Tom Smith

Credit: Syd Phillips

Credit: Patrick Coin

Watch and learn

2 videos

Carolina Chickadee Perched on a Branch in a Tree - 1080p HD

Credit: The Mystery

The Carolina Chickadee

Credit: pwalpar

Where it lives

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 3 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

3 rules

Rule 1 12 criteria confidence 5

What colour was the SIDE ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Very short · Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird) · Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States · Southwestern United States

result:670-carolina-chickadee:1:1 Source: 670 Carolina Chickadee, row 1

Rule 2 6 criteria confidence 5

Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?: Foraging by hanging upside down
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:670-carolina-chickadee:2:1 Source: 670 Carolina Chickadee, row 2

Rule 3 6 criteria confidence 5

Was the bird seen best or only on the ground ?: No
How BIG was the bird ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
List any unique feeding behaviour observed ?: Foraging by hanging upside down
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Identify from a Unique Behaviour
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Urban or residential area or at a feeder · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southeastern United States

result:670-carolina-chickadee:3:1 Source: 670 Carolina Chickadee, row 3