How to Make Your Yard a Winter Haven for Chickadees – And See More of These Beautiful Birds

Wherever you are in the states, there's likely a species of chickadee residing near you. Unlike some other songbirds that head south for the winter, chickadees stick around braving some of the coldest temperatures North America has to offer.

These cute little creatures even allow migrating songbirds in unfamiliar territories to hang out with them, making unusual visitor sightings more possible.

If you would like to attract these hardy feathered heroes to your yard, turn it into a haven for chickadees, with the best plants for birds, like this Pink Crush New England Aster from Plant Addicts. There are other simple steps that can help to create a songbird sanctuary too. Discover the practices ornithology experts recommend.

Chickadee Species And Winter Behaviour

'These remarkably tough little birds can be found throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with seven species occupying distinct ranges across the continent,' explains Miranda Rinck, Engagement Support Specialist, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

'Chickadees spend the winter in flocks searching for food and shelter, with some species up north enduring months of freezing temperatures.'

Miranda tells us that in the north, Black-capped Chickadees can be found coast to coast, including much of Canada and the northern two-thirds of the United States.

'Black-capped Chickadees live in a mix of deciduous and mixed deciduous and coniferous woodlands, as well as suburban areas,' she says.

The west coast is where the Chestnut-backed Chickadee resides. 'These birds can be found in coastal and interior forests from southeastern Alaska down to southern California.'

In the northern boreal forests of Canada and the adjacent United States, you can spot the Boreal Chickadee flocking amongst coniferous forests with spruce and sometimes fir.

'As you venture further south, you can find the Carolina Chickadee with overlapping ranges with Black-capped Chickadees,' says Miranda. 'Out west, the Mountain Chickadee can be found in montane coniferous forests consisting of pine and spruce-fir.'

Lastly, is the southernmost North American species, the Mexican Chickadee. 'This bird can be found in two mountain ranges in the U.S., in Arizona and New Mexico,' continues Miranda. 'However, it is mostly restricted to the mountainous regions of Mexico.'

Miranda Rinck

Miranda Rinck is an Engagement Support Specialist for Project FeederWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

1. Avoid Pruning Native Pines, Spruces and Firs

Unless you are pruning damaged, diseased or dead branches, the fall is generally not a good time to heavily trim native pines, spruces or firs, for the health of the tree. Another good reason to leave this task until late winter or early spring, is that is ensures respite for chickadees retreating from cold conditions.

'Dense cover provided by shrubs and evergreen trees provides protection from wind, snow, and predators – and can even provide places for chickadees to store their cached food,' says Miranda.

'We recommend avoiding heavy pruning of native pines, spruces, firs, and dense shrubs in October, particularly along woodland edges and in sheltered corners of the yard.'

2. Create Brush Piles

Creating brush piles has so many benefits in a wildlife garden, particularly as these stacks of sticks, twigs, logs and branches provide overwintering habitat for beneficial bugs – and the birds that feed on them. They have other advantages where chickadees are concerned too.

'Chickadees store food by caching seeds in various places,' says Miranda. 'These "hoarding" sites consist of tiny crevices in trees, dead leaves, pine needle clusters, and more.

'By creating brush piles, you can help chickadees find more little spaces to collect their food for the winter. Brush piles in your yard can also provide a great resource for chickadees in the cold to take cover.'

Moving heavy branches and large twigs to a quiet corner of the yard is a breeze with this steel wheelbarrow from Ace Hardware.

3. Amass Piles of Leaf Litter

Sweeping up fallen leaves can feel like a never-ending chore at this time of year. Yet this natural golden treasure serves multiple purposes in the garden. Aside from the alchemy that eventually turns dead leaves into nutritious free mulch for flower beds, piles of autumnal leaf litter can offer a bug buffet for hungry chickadees.

'Chickadees are professionals at foraging for overwintering insects and eggs on branches, bark, and buds; so, leaving your leaves in October can be a great way to help these birds out in the late fall,' says Miranda. 'Leaf litter provides habitat for hibernating insect species, but also places for insects to lay eggs that chickadees eat.'

These steel leaf scoops from Walmart make light work of moving garden debris into leaf piles.

4. Plant Native Trees And Evergreens

Just as foliage on existing evergreens offers up shelter and sustenance for chickadees and other overwintering avians, planting native potted trees (both deciduous and evergreen) such as alder, birch or juniper can provide extra cover too. This should still be possible for those in regions where the ground is soft and the first frost is still six weeks away.

'Planting native spruce, pine, oak, fir and juniper trees can be an excellent way to provide natural food sources and shelter for these birds throughout the year,' says Miranda. 'Not only do some native plants provide seeds, but they also support the insects that chickadees rely on.

'Chickadees spend much of their time foraging in trees, searching beneath bark and among conifer needles for food. Even in the winter, chickadees continue to forage insect eggs and overwintering insects.

'Native plants are one of the best ways to provide food and habitat for chickadees.'

This Colorado Blue Spruce from Trees.com has beautiful silvery blue-green foliage, is suitable for zones 2-7 and hardy to -40ºF.

'There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of cultivars of native species available in garden centers across the U.S.,' adds Jen McGuinness, author, Bird-Friendly Gardening. 'Some cultivars of natives aren’t much different from the true native, but some are significantly altered, causing the plant to become less recognizable to insects, birds, and other wildlife, specifically if the bloom is altered.

'Ecologists agree that some cultivars of natives may hold ecological value—at least more than exotics from the other side of the planet—but it is generally believed that the true native is best.'

This Hazel Alder from Plant Addicts is native to North America and is suitable for zones 4-9.

Jen McGuinness

Based in Connecticut, Jen McGuinness is a garden writer, photographer and author of Bird-Friendly Gardening from Cool Springs Press. She is also founder of the blog, FrauZinnia and champions organic and wildlife-friendly gardening. She holds a Home Horticulture Certificate from the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension and is a product tester for plant nurseries.

5. Put Up Feeders

Feeding birds in winter can increase thir survival. For chickadees it's a time they can struggle to find the seeds, insects or invertebrates they usually feed on. Even though these clever little creatures are capable of remembering thousands of places they have hoarded their food hauls, they may not be able to access them, due to icy conditions. So putting up bird feeders can be a lifeline for chickadees.

'In the winter, chickadees need a lot more food to help their energy levels as they fight to stay warm,' says Miranda. 'Leaving out feeders in your yard with seeds such as hulled sunflower seeds, nyjer, safflower seeds, black oil sunflower seeds, or mealworms and suet, can attract chickadees and provide these birds with a supplemental food source to help them in harsh winter conditions when their usual food may be scarce.

'They will often eat at hopper and tube feeders. Although, it is important to routinely clean your bird feeders every one to two weeks to feed birds safely.'

This Audubon Hopper Bird Feeder from Ace Hardware has four ports and an easy to fill swivel top. Keep it topped up with this Black Oil Sunflower Seed from Ace Hardware, a favorite food for chickadees, finches, cardinals and other beautiful songbirds.

6. Provide Access to Unfrozen Water

Natural water sources like puddles and ponds can freeze over during the winter making hydration and preening plumage tricky for chickadees. Maintaining garden bird baths can play a vital role for these cute creatures when it's seriously cold.

'While fresh water is important throughout the seasons, providing unfrozen clean water for birds to drink from in the winter will not only help your resident birds, but may attract others in the area,' says Jen McGuinness.

'Heated birdbaths can be plugged in with an outdoor-rated extension cord to an outdoor outlet (make sure to use a cord protector to keep he plugs dry). The options include a unit that can be inserted into an existing birdbath to keep water above freezing, or an entire basin that keeps the water temperature above freezing.

'Birdbaths (in all seasons) are best located in an area where birds can spot any movement or threat from predators. Having shrubs or a tree line nearby (within 6 to 10 feet) for birds to escape to is beneficial if hawks are also residents in the area.'

This bird bath heater from Lowe's is low wattage at 44 watts and can be placed in a shallow bowl to prevent water from freezing.

7. Adapt A Nest Box

Like bluebirds, chickadees are cavity nesters, which means they will nest – and roost – in tree cavities left by larger birds, like woodpeckers. And although, it's not nesting season, these adorable avians will also use bird boxes to shelter during the winter.

'Since flocks move around quite a bit in search for food, you might not notice a nest box being used every day like in the breeding season, but these boxes can provide a great resource for chickadees to escape from the rain, snow, and cold weather,' explains Miranda. 'Providing a roost box or reconfiguring your nest box in the winter can be a great way to provide shelter and keep these birds warm.'

A roost box differs lightly to a nest box, as it's designed to prevent the birds' body heat from escaping, so has fewer ventilation holes. It may have a few perches inside made from dowel rods and the entrance hole is lower to reduce warm air escaping. A chickadee roost box is often smaller than a nest box too, as these birds tend to roost alone, rather than in groups.

'Some people modify their nest boxes by plugging some of the ventilation holes and adding twigs for perching,' says Miranda. 'If it's easy to take a part, you can also turn the front panel upside down, so the entrance hole is lower. However, if you'd like to go further, it's also possible to provide chickadees with a specially designed roost box.'

This Chickadee roosting box from Etsy is made from cedar and has a 1⅛ inch diameter entrance. It can be mounted on a fence post or wall and comes with mounting screws. The front panel can be removed for easy cleaning at the end of the season.

Shop Chickadee Kit

Turning your yard into a winter haven for chickadees will not only attract these curious little creatures for you to watch and enjoy, but will likely bring a "bird bonus" of warblers, nuthatches, kinglets and other species they associate with.

Start now with the steps outlined above and you will soon have a songbird sanctuary that will support chickadees and other adorable avians through the chilliest months.

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