If you’re a fan of chickadees, you may be looking for tips for enticing more of the cute, nimble little birds to your yard.
That shouldn’t be too hard, as the largest North American species tend to be curious and relatively unafraid of humans. As such, here are some pointers for inviting them into your surroundings.
Offer up their favorite dishes. Chickadees enjoy a diverse diet that includes seeds, nuts, berries, and insects. Berry favorites include blueberry, serviceberry, and bayberry; they also love peanut kernels, peanut butter mixes, and suet. To draw them in during the winter, try feeds that feature their favorite seeds: black oil, hulled and gray-striped sunflower; pine; walnut; birch; ragweed, and hemlock. Tray, hopper, or tube feeders work just fine. You’ll notice that chickadees stay super busy during nesting season flying back and forth to feed insects (especially caterpillars and spiders) to their young.
Plant vegetation. When possible, landscape your yard with the small trees and/or dense shrubs where chickadees like to live. Some of their favorites? Evergreens, maples, oaks, beeches, birches, and alders. They prefer to nest in the holes or cavities of trees and are capable of digging them deeper as needed. They may also move into roosting boxes if they’re built to be around 8 by 5 by 5 inches, with entrance holes of about 1 inch, raised between 4 and 15 feet above the ground.
Supply plenty of bathing water. Offer up shallow birdbaths and change the water frequently to ensure its cleanliness. Chickadees especially enjoy heated water and fountains that provide noise and movement.
Wish to draw more of these friendly little birds to your surroundings? Try replacing your current birdfeed with Lyric Wild Bird Food’s Chickadee Premium Sunflower and Nut Mix, specially formulated to appeal to chickadee species.