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What Do Chickadees Eat?

Introduction

Chickadees are commonly seen in North America and there are seven types of chickadees breed are they are a part of a tit family. These curious birds are the official birds of the state of Massachusetts. There are seven types of chickadees and their name depends on the places they reside and for how they look. Here are all the seven breeds of chickadees:

  • Black-capped chickadees
  • Mountain chickadees
  • Boreal chickadees
  • Grey-headed chickadees
  • Carolina chickadees
  • Chestnut chickadees
  • Mexican chickadees

These birds are very easy to attract in your yard. Some of their favourite foods, shelter and more things like that which need to attract them can work for you to bring them into your yard. So you might be thinking about what are things which can attract these curious birds into your backyard or what are some of their favourite foods they eat. We will discuss everything on this topic further in this article.

Also, know What do mourning doves eat?

How to attract chickadees?

These beautiful birds are easy to attract. Just keep food, water, meetings and shelter, your work will become easy. 

Water

These birds will surely love to visit bird baths during summer days. As these birds are small they need shallow tubs to fit in. You can keep a basin with a small dish or you can disperse some rocks to make it deep for these curious birds to take a bath or use it. During winter times, water is very important for chickadees and they need fresh water to bathe or drink. These birds don’t migrate so if they will get a source of fresh water, these birds can easily attract to those places. 

Shelter

These chickadees will get attracted by those shelters made of thickets or tiers and those with denser houses. To protect them from winter colds, chickadees can use the empty boxes in which they can settle perfectly or the empty birdhouses to keep them warm.

Nesting site

Chickadees get attracted to better nesting sites if provided to them like a scattering of wood or sawdust, nesting materials like fur, small fractions of string and stuff like that to make proper nestings. They prefer their house on the trees above the ground with a size of eight inches tall and 11/7 inches of the entrance. These things a birder can create for chickadees to bring into their yard.

Food

Food is yet another essential thing to attract chickadees. Providing them with the foods which they eat can work easier for you. These birds are omnivores so they can eat both plants and animals. As these birds live both in the wild and in their internal environment, they can eat a variety of food. So, if you are wondering what food you can feed them, here are some of the foods you can feed them.

What do chickadees eat?

Chickadees can be attracted by fruit bushes in your yard as they enjoy eating fruits. Chickadees eat a wide variety of foods including seeds, berries, insects, carrion and stuff that are available in the environment. 

Seeds and fruits are their favourite food they eat. Especially the black oil sunflower seeds, striped sunflower seeds, and hulled sunflower seeds, are the favourite seeds of chickadee’s nutrition. They also eat peanut and peanut butter which provide a good source of energy to these small birds. They sometimes also feed on animal matters like insects or carrion but these are their winter option when nothing is available for them to feed on. As it is very difficult to find fruits and berries in winter times.

What do baby chickadees eat?

Baby chickadees are fed by their parents and they eat a diet of regurgitated food when they are too small to find food on their own, especially when they are in the nest. As they grow up, they start flying along with their parents in search of food for their own.

Why do chickadees drink a lot of water?

Chickadees drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and healthy during the summer times. That is why they get attracted by those shallow bathtubs or places filled with water. So if you want these birds in your place don’t use deep containers as it is risky for them.

Some quick FAQs about chickadee’s diet 

  • Do chickadees eat insects?

As chickpeas are omnivorous birds, they also eat animal matter and insects. Yes, they do feed on insects because they are quick and flexible to feed on. Chickadees can easily catch insects like flies, caterpillars, spiders and moths. Therefore chickpeas don’t leave their opportunistic food and catch them easily to feed on them.

Do chickadees eat sunflower seeds?

Sunflower seeds are one of the favourite foods of chickpeas and they eat a variety of seeds. These sunflower seeds are filled with nutrients and energy, therefore it attracts most of the birds in the wild and field. There are many sunflower seeds but among them, black seeds are the personal favourites of all the species of chickadees.  

Do chickadees eat suet?

Suet is a favourite food of chickens, especially during winter times when the situation is harsh and other food sources are not available. Then these small birds prefer to feed on suet which also contains energy and protein.

Do chickadees prefer to eat thistle?

Chickadees eat thistle but only the interior part and not the hardened shell. Because it is very difficult to crush and digest such small birds like chickens. These birds hold the thistle with their feet to expose the fruit out from the seed.

Conclusion

These chickadees are very small birds who don’t migrate but can be attracted to your yard. These small birds prefer to eat seeds, but in times of harsh situations, they can feed on insects and dead animal matter. They can eat anything like a human’s diet food but some of them might not be healthy for chickadees. Therefore it’s best to provide them with fruits, sunflower seeds and berries. These birds have universally loved creatures whose appearance is elegant and fascinating. That is why lots of people loved to attract them in their yard.

 

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