Boreal Chickadee
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Cavity Nester ⌀ 1.125" Small

Boreal Chickadee

Poecile hudsonicus

Brown-capped chickadee of the high boreal forest, far less familiar to backyard birders than the black-capped variety. Survives some of the coldest winter nights of any songbird on the continent.

IUCN Red List
Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; no known immediate threats to the population.

Floor
4" × 4"
Interior height
8"
Entrance hole
⌀ 1.125"
Mount height
5–15 ft
Breeds
May–Jul
Broods / yr
1
Cool Facts

Things you didn't know about the Boreal Chickadee

01

Caches massive food stores for winter. A single Boreal Chickadee may stash tens of thousands of seeds and insect pupae each autumn.

02

Drops its body temperature into controlled nocturnal hypothermia to survive –40°F nights in the boreal forest.

03

The brown cap (instead of black) and rusty flanks are the key field marks separating it from Black-capped Chickadee.

04

Often the only songbird remaining in deep boreal spruce forests in mid-winter.

Range & Habitat

Where you'll find them

Resident across the entire North American boreal-forest zone from Alaska to Newfoundland, with the southern edge reaching the northernmost contiguous US states.

By region
  • Boreal Canada

    Year-round through Yukon, NWT, all the prairie provinces, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, and Newfoundland.

  • Northern US

    Breeds in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

  • Alaska

    Resident across the interior and southern parts of the state.

boreal spruce forests tamarack bogs subalpine conifers
10-year local observation heatmap. Click a season above to isolate one band.
Fledgemade Kit

The right house for the Boreal Chickadee

Size S

Small body + 1⅛" panel

Body sized to 4"×4" floor. The 1⅛" panel locks out larger nest competitors while letting the Boreal Chickadee pass cleanly.

Multi-color presets
Color
Entrance hole size
$39
Customize colors - +$5
Seasonal Care

When to install. When to clean.

Install by
By mid-April
Cleaning
Once a year, October
Winter use
Yes, overnight roosts
Boreal Canada
Resident across the entire boreal zone from Yukon to Newfoundland.

Stores enormous food caches to survive –40°F winter nights.