13 Birds That Look Like Chickadees (Inc. Awesome Photos)
With their cheeky behavior and attitude that is much larger than their tiny size, it’s easy to see why Chickadees are one of the most popular species of bird in North America.
But, did you know that there are several birds that are commonly mistaken for Chickadees?
Below, we’re going to take a look at 13 birds that look like Chickadees.
From the common American Tree Sparrow to the lesser-known Blackpoll Warbler, each of these birds can be accused of masquerading as a Chickadee but, in actual fact, isn’t related in any way at all.
We’ve also included some species of Chickadee to help you identify those that you may have seen flitting around your garden or local park, but can’t quite figure out what they are.
We’ll look at each of these birds’ identifying features, discuss where you can spot them in the wild, and explore their feeding habits.
This won’t only help you easily identify them, but will also help you entice these beautiful birds into your garden.
American Tree Sparrow
One of the most common and easily-recognizable birds across North America, the American Tree Sparrow can be identified by its light-brown upper parts streaked with black, white breast, and 5.5-inch length.
It’s also a pretty noisy bird, making a loud “chip” call to communicate with its flock.
While the American Tree Sparrow is native to North America and non-migratory, those that live in the far North will migrate further South for the winter, setting up home in Florida, Arkansas, and other Southern States.
They will return North for the breeding season, however, where they live in family groups and raise their young together.
The American Tree Sparrow is mainly insectivorous and will forage around on the floor, flicking over leaves in search of their prey.
They take no encouragement and will happily visit your garden in search of food, although you can increase your chances of drawing them in by planting low, dense shrubs.
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Another fairly common bird across North America, the White Breasted Nuthatch is a small songbird that can be identified by its light-gray upper parts and wings that are barred with a black, white face, and its namesake white breast and underparts.
Unlike many birds, the White-Breasted Nuthatch is quite active during the winter and will travel to warmer areas during spring and summer to breed.
It remains in the United States all year-round, but may head further South if temperatures start to drop too low.
The White-Breasted Nuthatch nests in tree cavities such as abandoned Woodpecker holes, although it has been known to roost and nest in man-made nesting boxes as well.
Its main source of food is nuts, which it opens by carrying back to a tree and smashing against a branch to get to the seed inside. It will also happily feed on seeds and insects.
Gray-Headed Chickadee
The first true Chickadee on our list, the Gray-Headed Chickadee covers a huge range and can be found in North America, Canada, Norway, Greenland, and Iceland.
It does find some of these areas a little too cold during the winter though, so numbers in North America tend to increase during the winter as it goes in search of warmer temperatures.
You can identify a Gray-Headed Chickadee by its namesake dark-gray head, gray upper parts, and its black bib which runs from its chin to the top of the breast.
Small birds, the Gray-Headed Chickadee measures around 5.5-inches and has an average weight of just 0.45 ounces.
You’re most likely to spot a Gray-Headed Chickadee in mixed, coniferous, or deciduous forests, although they have also been known to roost and nest in parks and gardens.
Their preferred food source is seeds, fruits, insects, and berries, so they are quite easy to entice into your garden as long as you’ve filled your feeders with a good variety of food.
Tufted Titmouse
You’d be forgiven to think that the Tufted Titmouse is a creature straight out of a fairytale story.
But, it’s actually a real bird! It has a black, mohawk-like crest that makes it instantly recognizable, along with dark gray upper parts, pale underparts, and a pale breast.
The Tufted Titmouse is most common in the Eastern United States, but its range also extends to Central America, Mexico, and Canada. Regardless of where it is in the world, its habitat remains the same; deciduous woodlands and coniferous forests.
It has also been spotted in suburban areas that are close to woods.
Almost exclusively insectivorous, the Tufted Titmouse feeds on spiders, beetles, and a range of other insects.
It will also eat seeds and berries, particularly during the winter, so if you want to draw this little bird into your garden be sure to fill your feeders and bird tables with these.
Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher
One of North America’s non-migratory bird species, the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher is easily mistaken for a Chickadee.
It measures just 5.5-inches long and can be identified by its blue-black cap, white underparts, black-streaked tail feathers, and blue-gray upperparts.
You can spot the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher all year-round in California and it has also been recorded as far North as Washington State.
In all locations, its preferred habitat is dense forests near a source of water such as a river or creek. Here, it feeds on insects including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers and, of course, gnats.
Carolina Chickadee
Another true member of the Chickadee family, the Caroline Chickadee can be identified by its black cap, white cheeks, dark gray upperparts, and pale gray breast.
It’s also a very small bird, measuring just 5-inches in length and topping the scales at 0.40 ounces.
Unlike many Chickadees, the Caroline Chickadee is a ground-feeding bird. It will forage around on the ground looking for seeds, insects, nuts, and berries to eat and will also peck at low-hanging branches in search of food.
Sadly, the Carolina Chickadee is considered an endangered species due to human activity destroying their natural habitat, and they now have a very small range and population.
They are also easy prey for predators including hawks and owls, as well as snakes.
Mountain Chickadee
The Mountain Chickadee is a tiny bird that measures an average of 5.5-inches.
Very similar in appearance to the Carolina Chickadee, it can be identified by the black eye stripe that runs horizontally across its white face, white cap, gray upperparts, and lighter underparts. It also has a pure white neck and throat.
This little bird can be found along the Eastern Coast of the United States from California to Alaska, and from Montana to New Mexico. Its preferred habitat is mountainous areas with alpine meadows and coniferous forests.
Here, it spends its days hunting for insects including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. It is also an expert at catching flying insects on the wing, but will likewise forage through leaf litter in search of a meal.
Due to its mountainous territory, it’s quite hard to draw the Mountain Chickadee into your garden. However, you can increase your chances by planting blackberry and raspberry bushes.
Black-Throated Sparrow
Native to the Southwest of the United States and some parts of Mexico, the Black-Throated Sparrow is often mistaken for a Chickadee due to its small size.
It measures around 5-inches long, and can be identified by its dark-brown head, brown breast, pale underparts, and heavily-barred wings. It also bears a namesake black throat with black feathers running down into the breast.
The Black-Throated Sparrow’s preferred habitat is dry, arid areas such as desert hillsides and scrublands.
Here, there are plenty of yucca plants, ocotillo trees, and sagebrush for them to shelter and raise their broods in.
There are also plenty of seeds for them to feed on, and they’ll hop around the ground, pecking away and sorting through litter in search of a meal.
Boreal Chickadee
Taking its name from the boreal forests of Canada and Northern United States, the Boreal Chickadee has brown upperparts, white underparts, and black bars across the breast.
They measure around 5.5-inches long and weigh no more than 0.45 ounces.
This little bird nests and roosts in tree cavities, often reusing abandoned Woodpecker holes to take shelter in.
They’ll make these holes a little more comfortable as well by lining them with lichen, moss, or any other soft material they can find in their chosen coniferous forest habitat.
They are also very active during the winter, hopping around in search of seeds to feed on and help get them through the winter months.
They will visit garden bird feeders if enough variety is offered, so be sure to fill your feeders with a good seed mix if you want to entice the Boreal Chickadee into your backyard.
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is a tiny woodland bird that has a tail almost as long as its body. It takes its name from the blue-gray colored plumage that covers its upperparts, and it also has white underparts, a blue cap, and white-ringed eye.
An expert in hunting on the wing, the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher feeds on insects and has a needle-like beak that is specially evolved for snatching flying insects out of the air with ultimate precision.
This bird is exclusively insectivorous, so attracting it to your garden can be a little difficult.
The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher’s preferred habitat is open, deciduous woods with plenty of insects to feed on.
It is abundant across North America during the spring and summer but, come winter, it will head further South to spend the colder months in warmer climates.
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee
Another tiny bird, the Chestnut-Backed Chickadee could actually be very easily mistaken for a Sparrow!
Named for its chestnut-brown upperparts, it can also be identified by its dark brown cap, black throat, white cheeks, gray and white wings, and light gray underparts.
It also measures around 5-inches in length and weighs an average of just 12 grams.
Found primarily in the Northwest of the United States and some parts of Western Canada, the Chestnut-Backed Chickadee’s range extends from Northern California to Alaska and from Oregon to Washington.
In each of these locations, it can be found living in mixed forests, shrub lands, and oak woodlands. It has also been spotted in parks and urban areas, meaning that it shouldn’t be too hard to attract to your garden.
As always, food plays a key role in this, though!
To entice the Chestnut-Backed Chickadee into your backyard, put out an offering of seeds, fruit, and nuts.
Black-Capped Chickadee
The Black-Capped Chickadee is a non-migratory species with a distinctive, namesake black cap, bill, and bill.
It also has white cheeks, while its upperparts are a gray-blue color and its breast is a pale-yellow color.
Measuring just 5-inches long and weighing no more than 0.53 ounces, it is one of the smaller songbirds you’ll find in North America.
Its preferred habitat is mixed forests and deciduous woodlands, and its range covers Alaska to Newfoundland.
The Black-Capped Chickadee is present all year-round, but is most active during the spring and summer as it breeds and raises its young.
Their diet consists of insects, seeds, and nuts, and you can easily attract the Black-Capped Chickadee into your garden by filling your feeders with a good quality seed mix.
Blackpoll Warbler
The last entry on our list of birds that look like Chickadees is the Blackpoll Warbler.
This is a very rare bird that can only be found in the forest of Northern North America. They have black and white wings, pale gray underparts, a pale-yellow breast and face, and olive-green necks.
They also have a telltale white patch on either side of the face, just below the eye.
Because it is so rare, not very much is known about the Blackpoll Warbler.
What we do know, however, is that it feeds on insects and berries during the spring and summer, and then switches to seeds during the winter.
This also suggests that it is non-migratory, although some people believe that the Blackpoll Warbler journeys further South to Central America for winter.
Final Thoughts
Each of the birds we’ve listed above can easily be mistaken for a Chickadee and, in some cases, they are Chickadees!
Regardless of species, we hope that this guide will help you out next time you see a tiny bird in your backyard and you’d like to know exactly what it is.
