Black-capped Chickadee
high confidencePoecile atricapillus
A small, round-bodied songbird perched on an outstretched palm taking black oil sunflower seeds. It shows the classic chickadee pattern: a solid black cap and black bib/throat separated by crisp white cheeks, soft gray back and wings with pale feather edging, buffy-white underparts, and a longish gray tail. The snowy northern deciduous woodland setting and hand-feeding behavior are both highly characteristic of Black-capped Chickadee.
Other possibilities:
- Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) — Nearly identical plumage; separated mainly by range and by less white edging on the wing feathers, but the deep-snow northern habitat argues against it.
- Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) — Similar black cap and bib, but it would show a distinct white eyebrow stripe, which is not visible here.
- Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) — Also a hand-tame northern chickadee, but has a brown cap and buffy flanks rather than a clean black cap and white cheeks.
2026-08-21