What does the Black-capped Chickadee call sound like?

Poecile atricapillus

Call Common Resident

Play the real Black-capped Chickadee call, the "chick-a-dee-dee-dee — and a clear, whistled fee-bee", and learn what to listen for.

What the Black-capped Chickadee call sounds like

This is the real Black-capped Chickadee call recording from the Wings & Whistles sound library. Press play above to hear it.

“chick-a-dee-dee-dee — and a clear, whistled fee-bee”

Call vs. song: telling the two apart

The same bird makes both. They sound nothing alike.

The call (this page)

The song

A clear, whistled two-note phrase, often rendered as "fee-bee" (or "hey, sweetie" in some mnemonic). The first note is high-pitched and the second is about a minor third lower, giving a forlorn, whistled sound. Males sing this in late winter and spring to advertise territory.

“Fee-bee fee-bay”

Where you'll hear it

Common in any habitat with trees or woody shrubs across its range. Found in deciduous and mixed forests, forest edges, groves, and also frequenting suburban yards, city parks, and orchards. Prefers areas with some cover; absent in open plains or high treeless alpine zones.

Black-capped Chickadee call FAQ

How do I tell a Black-capped Chickadee from a Carolina Chickadee by ear?

Carolina Chickadee: Carolina Chickadee is very similar but tends to have less buff on the sides and is slightly smaller. In areas where both occur, identification often relies on voice.; Mountain Chickadee has a white eyebrow stripe that Black-capped lacks. Boreal Chickadee has a brown cap and fuzzy gray-brown overall look..

When is the best time to hear the Black-capped Chickadee call?

Forms winter flocks typically from late summer through early spring. These flocks (6-10 birds) often include other small birds (nuthatches, kinglets, downy woodpeckers, warblers) that associate with chickadees to find food and heed their alarm calls. In late winter, increasing daylight triggers males to start singing their fee-bee song.

More Black-capped Chickadee sounds

Black-capped Chickadee: the full species pageEvery sound we have, field marks, habitat and similar species.Black-capped Chickadee songThe full song, not the call.How to Identify Bird Sounds (By Ear & With Apps)Learning to identify bird sounds is how you stop letting those moments slip by. It is also one of the fastest ways to feel like birds are no longer random background noise but neighbors you actually recognize.How to Learn Bird Calls Fast: A 7-Day Spring PlanYou have seven days. You want seven birds. This is the plan: one new song per day, a mnemonic per bird, ten minutes you steal from your coffee break. Sunday-to-Sunday, you walk outside and a name lands in your head before you have time to think about it.