Photo: DickDaniels (http://carolinabirds.org) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is a member of the Paridae family found in North America. Adults weigh 10 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Paridae Tits, Chickadees
- Genus Poecile
- Species carolinensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Paridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Carolina Chickadee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Carolina Chickadee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is a member of the Paridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA se USA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10 g, with a wing length of about 5.9 cm and a tail of around 5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Carolina Chickadee?
The Carolina Chickadee is a very small bird that weighs around 10 g.
Where does the Carolina Chickadee live?
The Carolina Chickadee is found across North America with a range covering NA se USA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Carolina Chickadee belong to?
The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) belongs to the Paridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Carolina Chickadee eat?
The Carolina Chickadee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Carolina Chickadee migrate?
The Carolina Chickadee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Carolina Chickadee endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Carolina Chickadee make?
1 real field recording of the Carolina Chickadee — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Carolina Chickadee's range?
The Carolina Chickadee has a mapped global range of about 2.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
How to Attract Carolina Chickadee to Your Yard
The honest, data-backed way to attract Carolina Chickadee to your yard — the feeders and food they actually use (black-oil sunflower), nesting help, and habitat that brings them in.
Black-capped Chickadee vs Carolina Chickadee: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Black-capped Chickadee from a Carolina Chickadee — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.