Listen for the familiar "fee-bee" and "chick-a-dee-dee" of the black-capped chickadee. One of North America's most familiar birds, black-capped chickadees are viewed by many as bright and cheerful.

Chickadees place their nest in a cavity, using old woodpecker holes, nest boxes, or chipping out a nest hole in a soft snag. They line the cavity with plant down, moss, hair, and insect cocoons.

These small, energetic birds are common, year-round residents in many habitats in North Central Washington, including Barn Beach Reserve, Sleeping Lady, and the Fish Hatchery. They are frequent visitors to bird feeders. During the breeding season they eat tree-infesting caterpillars and insects. With specially adapted legs that enable them to hang upside-down, chickadees eat birch and conifer seeds in winter. They store food to survive the winter and are able to find an impressive percentage of hidden food.

Chickadees don’t get fat in winter, but on cold nights they lower their body temperature from a normal 108 degrees to around 86 degrees. This semi-hibernation slows their rate of metabolism by about 25 percent, allowing them to survive until morning.