How to Spot the DIFFERENCE | CAROLINA and BLACK CAPPED Chickadees

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

From myself and my bird buddies, thank you ALL for watching. It's greatly appreciated! If you enjoyed the video please help the channel by Liking, Leaving a comment, or sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. It all helps me out tremendously! Other ways to Support: Lesley the Bird Nerd Merchandise from Teespring teespring.com/stores/lesleythebirdnerd​ Lesley the Bird Nerd Merchandise from Bonfire www.bonfire.com/store/lesleythebirdnerd

[@cobythebirdnerd3790]

Great video Lesley and birds walking down! Maybe in your next video could you mention my channel at the end of your next video? Thanks for sharing! Very helpful

[@altube01]

Good job with getting no dislikes yet!

[@kevinmiller5148]

@@altube01 don't know how there could EVER be any dislikes unless someone thinks they're a 'know-it-all' or is just a jerk having a bad day.

[@noahway13]

It seems odd that there is such a definite, delineated line that separates the two.

[@pigeonboi6577]

Black capped and Carolina chickadees: I bet you can't tell us apart! Lesley the Bird Nerd & Birds walking down: Hold my seeds.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Haha! That is so funny. Thanks for the laugh :D

[@kevinmiller5148]

😂😆👍

[@agwandthegroo]

We used to live in Wisconsin where we had plenty of Black-Capped, but now we're in south central Louisiana, and the difference we immediately noticed is that the Carolina Chickadees down here are *tiny*, barely bigger than some hummingbirds. They visit our feeders on an almost daily basis for roasted peanut chips, and they make a little fuss when they can't find them, lol.

[@Sshartfest]

I also live in Louisiana and they are SO small here

[@aaronmacy9134]

I love that I can hear Chickadees (Black Capped) in my yard as I watch this!

[@TrueToad]

My Black-Capped scold me when I take down the feeder to replenish them. Hurry up with the food they say!

[@aaronmacy9134]

@@TrueToad Haha so true! Mine yell at me for everything. Every night before I go to bed, I sprinkle a couple cups of black oil sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts on the patio railing outside my bedroom as an early bird special for all the birds that get up before me in the AM, ..which is all of them😂. I then sweep the railing clear of the shells later in the day. I have forgotten to do the PM seed sprinkle 4 times and I swear to your God, all 4 times I’ve had what I’m suspecting is the same Chickadee continuously alarm call 🎶 “Dee-DeeDee-DeeDee-DeeDee-Dee!”🎶 from his perch on the railing outside the window closest to my bed for what seems like *HOURS* until I drag my ass out of bed to go throw him a handful of seeds. It’s happened all 4 times I forgot and only those 4 times. I lovehate him with all my heart😂

[@phoenixgamer3480]

Awesome!

[@jeromestracks108]

You're right about Black Capped Chickadee being bold. I was lying on a raft in my pool one day and one landed on my foot and stayed there for a few minutes

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Oh my too darn cute

[@youtubeaccount7223]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd I agree!

[@kevinmiller5148]

Gotta love that!

[@Daysleeper1000]

I've always loved the Carolina Chickadee song!

[@ginafriend1690]

I love having my black cap chickadees around. I honestly find that they will hang out when I'm around, as well as my cardinals, hummingbirds and gold finches 🥰 They know who loves them! 😉

[@phoenixgamer3480]

Nice

[@VitalityMassage]

It's EASY to identify them Leslie! When they land in the bird house I say out loud, "my birdies!" Yes, they are all MY birdies! Ok, so you can see the Carolina chickadees look less "extreme" and THAT is exactly why I live here in NC. The weather is much more gentle than back in Utah or other places. In January the average daytime temp is just 45°F and nighttime is 25°F. Yahoo! Snow melts right off quickly! Yea! Oh and since we're in the mtns, the summer temps are not hot. Me and the Carolina Chickadees are so happy here!

[@mugsylol]

Ironically enough my Dad and I were out watching birds this afternoon and this exact topic came up. We live near the hybrid zone, and you can definitely hear both songs, 2 note and 4 note, being sung at the same time, from every direction! Very difficult to make a positive ID on these little guys sometimes, but it’s nice having them around, whichever chickadee they are!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

That is pretty neat. Lucky you...well, I guess, haha! It can be confusing I bet. Thanks for the nice comment.

[@chickadee-dee-dee9031]

I love these little birds.

[@phoenixgamer3480]

So do I and I love your pfp.

[@chickadee-dee-dee9031]

@@phoenixgamer3480 thanks they’re just so cute

[@metalmamasue3680]

Me too, they're the first ones to scold me to hurry up when refilling my feeders 😂

[@repetemyname842]

Today I learned theres another chickadee. Always thought the black capped chickadee was the only one since Ive long considered them a northern bird. They are so much fun and sure can brighten a dreary winter day, I love how friendly they are, such cheerful little birds that have no fear of landing on a bowhunter sitting in a tree. Ive had them land on my arrows, my knee and the brim of my hat. The bird that landed on my hat bent over to look me in the eye, it was something else!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

lol. too cute

[@repetemyname842]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd : One of the more hilarious sits Ive had. Been lucky enough to have pileated woodpeckers hammer on a poplar tree no more than 12' away and once had at least 3 dozen crows land in the same oak I was sitting in. To this day Im not sure if they knew I was there or not, I suspect they must have since my bow had numerous metal parts on it and the stand was one of the "hang on" styles that you leave up all season long. These were true woodland crows, not the city cousins, and they tend to be a tad more wary than the city crowd so it was really surprising. They hung out for at least 20 minutes, the closest ones being maybe 4' above me. The next best one was when a hawk attempted to land on me one day, I was in an old wooden stand and pretty sure it was his/her favorite hunting perch. I heard a slight "rustle" and just turned my head a bit and there it was, only 4' out with wings set to land. It flared off at the last second and landed on a branch about 10' away, sat there and studied me for a good 2 or 3 minutes. My camo must have had it entirely fooled and Im not sure who was more surprised that day!

[@ljlawver]

Actually there are several species of chickadees. The mountain west has the aptly named mountain chickadee. The west coast has the chestnut backed chickadee, the far north has the very hardy boreal chickadee. There are others as well.

[@phillylifer]

Love when i do web search on a bird and it brings me to my favorite birding channel

[@LectroNyx]

when I was a kid, one winter I held a black capped chickadee in my hands for so long that my parents and a stranger had to cup their hands around mine to keep mine warm. When I finally had to uncup my hands and go home, the bird seemed a bit upset - little bastard was taking advantage of my body heat! Still one of my favorite things to have ever happened to me.

[@rogerthat117]

I live in New Jersey this is going to help, thanks

[@largemouthbass355]

South jersey has them both. And they aren’t shy about it. It’s been 50/50 at my feeder this fall-winter.

[@metalmamasue3680]

I'm in PA where we have both, its so confusing but I love them all. They're the first ones to scold me to hurry up when refilling my feeders. 😂 I hear them outside scolding my son atm. The wrens are the feistiest ones though. They will sit on my back porch and scold me when I'm inside not even looking at them. 🤣 and they dive bomb my son working on the car and then sit there a few feet away to make sure he got the message. I started buying them meal worms as a peace offering so they let us continue to live here 😅 Birds are awesome.

[@sjean2166]

I live in NH, so have grown up hearing the black-capped songs. I'm not a birder, but I still immediately recognized the Carolina's songs as wrong. It's like hearing a (human) song you've heard hundreds of times being sung off-key.

[@redringofdeathgamer]

Best bird channel around. Hats off, bird women.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Aww thank you so much :)

[@ryanthompsonthompson820]

Can you do a video on Red Winged Black Birds?

[@alangreene7850]

Thank you for sharing

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

My pleasure

[@mommakitty2399]

Well I learned that my chickadees are the Carolina Chickadees...I have been calling them black capped Chickadees for well ever. But I saw there differences right away as well and recognized the ones here in Kentucky as the Carolina Chickadees ❣ Love watching your videos and learning all I can about these amazing lil gifts from God❣Thank you for being a bird nerd 💕🐦🤓

[@jerryc2709]

The Carolina Chickadee is my favorite non Woodpecker species. I always look forward to putting up my black oil seed feeders in November here in S. E. Tennessee to feed these adorable little birds.

[@Sqeptick]

I'm in a hybrid area, so I've given up trying to distinguish them. I just call them all chickadees.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Haha! I can imagine the pain of identifying the ones in the overlap range. :/

[@thania2266]

Lol 😂😂🤣😂🤣😝

[@phoenixgamer3480]

Don’t blame you because each of the seven chickadee species are absolutely adorable. 😊

[@Dragrath1]

I think one apt quite I have heard is "If chickadees can't tell each other apart what chance do you have?"

[@Sqeptick]

@@Dragrath1 Good point.

[@jessnginger4365]

I’m in Maryland and have both. Tail feather length is the only way I’ve been able to tell them apart as their calls become confusing.

[@DIGardening]

What part? I live in Southern Maryland and have only seen a black cap so far.

[@Dragrath1]

Fun fact chickadee calls feature compositional syntax meaning the meaning of a call follows from its ordering of notes with dee notes reserved for punctuation so their calls are quite literally complicated!

[@Whiteshell204]

*Going out to my off-grid cabin this weekend, I'll get to see my Jays, Ravens, Nuthatches, Chickadee's...and hopefully Finnegan my red fox...they had an easier winter*

[@gettingold59]

Another Sunday night made by Miss Nerd. well done as always

[@nofreakingway8498]

Thank you! I just saw 2 chickadees this morning and didnt know the difference!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

You're welcome! Hope it helps

[@serenegreene6984]

Chickadees are so sweet. Love the video!

[@Graygeezer]

I live in the Carolina Chickadee range. I love my Chickadees!

[@Abingdale]

I live in North Carolina and love these little guys! I’ve noticed that when anything startles the birds away from feeders, or when I put seed out after a while without, the Carolina chickadees are ALWAYS the first to be back, before any other bird species. Is that the same with black capped? Brave little guys!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

The Black-caps in my area literally check out the feeders every day even when I've gone days without topping them up. Once they remember a spot they just seem to keep tabs on it. They are such darlings.

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

I live in Michigan and yes, the black capped chickadees are always the first ones back to the feeders! I have even had them land on the feeders as I fill them and once one landed on top of my head (I had a winter coat on with the hood up)! Brave little birds indeed! 😀

[@roscoe9988]

The other species feel safer and follow the chickadees from feeder to feeder because chickadees use alarms to warn when predators are near

[@YvonneSebastian1980]

Only Carolina sighting for me.. thanks for sharing.. have a great week!

[@gexgeko6520]

Another fantastic learning experience,,,Thanks Lesley.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@themiageorge]

i never even knew that there were two types of Chickadees who look so similar, wow you learn something new everyday! i always thought that in the South (where i live), that the Carolina Chickadees were actually Black-Capped Chickadees. i’m going to try and see if i can make sure that they are the Carolina Chickadees. thank you for sharing these facts Lesley :)

[@lauriescozycorner]

I wondered why the chickadees where I live in TN why they looked a bit different from yours. Great video.

[@ericmonfils3224]

Love my Sunday night Bird Nerd fix

[@manofparadox]

I guessed wrong today. No crows.. But chicadees are lovely! Two are visiting me daily (Freehold, NJ). I put up my feeder about 6 weeks ago- I've observed 13 species so far..

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Thats awesome! Im sure a crow video is coming soon though

[@BirdsandGhibliFan]

My dad used to work at Freehold. Happy birding to you!

[@mommasoto]

I get a lot of Carolina Chickadees. They're a fave. I am determined to get them comfy with me so they come up to me. I sit by the feeder and always have a whistle I do when I'm out watching so the birds get to know me. The chickadee's whistle back and sit on the fence just watching me. There's 1 that always comes up unafraid. Hoping to capture all this on camera so I can share.

[@miaandrex]

I’m in southern IL & I was recording my Chickadee today w Merlin Bird ID. After listening to this video, I went back and listened to my recording and sure enough, it was so easy to hear how fast their call is compared to the black-capped. So cool. Thank you.

[@kevinmiller5148]

Hey, thank for a thorough comparison. I'm in or near the line living in central Ohio in C-Bus. In winter at my feeders, I see the orangish hair like feathers below the wings. That color and the fact that it's winter, leads me to believe that I'm seeing black caps, right? I have seen the whitish gray under the wings too, occasionally leading me to believe those might be the Carolinas, based on this great vid.

[@goodkarmabirding]

We live in a range with the Carolina Chickadee however some of the birding locations we visit are in the overlap. We have still yet to successfully identify a Black-Capped. Definitely going to watch this one a couple more times before we go back to those locations! Maybe we can use this to finally get our positive identification! Thank you!

[@straightforward]

I watch chickadees in N.E. Ohio. I had never noticed a difference. I do notice, though, that they seem to flock with the titmouse too. The sounds are fun to listen to when they're having a morning breakfast at the sycamore. It get's even better when the goldfinch show up! ;) I'll have to look closer, next time...I just enjoy their chatter. God given joy on a sunny morning. imho. Thank you! @LesleytheBirdNerd

[@theteenagegardener]

I love these guys! We get mostly Carolina chickadees here, but sometimes we get Black-capped chickadees. I live in the Hybrid zone, and I one time heard a chickadee do a 3-note fee-bee-fee call. It was so cool! Thank you for the informative video Lesley! I always have difficulty identifying between the two, so this is very helpful. Thanks again!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

You are so lucky to live in the hybrid zone. Too neat. I'm glad you enjoyed this video and I hope it helps you recognize the differences. :)

[@theteenagegardener]

I am very lucky indeed! 😃 It helped me a lot to recognize the differences between the two. Thanks a bunch for responding!

[@Andrea-rw9tf]

I have some handmade pottery with Carolina Black Caps, it’s beautiful!

[@matthewtrebs9738]

I live in the hybrid zone! I thank you very much for this video. I always wanted to learn the difference, but none of my field guides ever helped, and looking back, i think one of them got the pictures wrong haha. Now i look forward to watching out for the differences and overlap :)

[@carefulpilgrim]

Leslie, thank you! You have such a pleasant voice to listen to...and we can tell feom your voice that your interest and pleasure in these little birds is genuine. May the Lord bless you!

[@moonbeanification]

I live in Connecticut, and have definitely heard both songs here

[@GatlinsMema]

I am in southern Georgia. The Carolina Chickadees here are very friendly. They come right up to check me out all the time and I haven’t even fed them (YET), but I’m going to now BECAUSE they are so bold and friendly. Thank you for the wonderful video! 🙏 ❤

[@rebeccakoch5392]

Thanks for working with Birds Walking Down! I have never heard of their channel and now I'm happily subscribed!

[@gellesa]

Little chickadee on the feeder this morning in St. Petersburg, Florida. A first chickadee siting in my garden led me to your lovely video. Thanks for lovely pictures, audio and info!

[@eugeniamartin712]

Just simply joy watching & listening to these darlings, creating instant calm 😚🙃😌 purrfect dopamine rush is your channel

[@kerrykestrowl6785]

Thank you Terry and welcome back Lesley I am glad you are feeling better ❤

[@guitarenigma]

Love our Northwestern NJ Chickadees and thanks to this video we're pretty sure they're black caps!

[@valerieschluger]

They are so beautiful! Thank you 😊

[@timsmith3621]

I live in Maryland, but my parents lived in north-central Pennsylvania. I always could tell a difference in the two chickadees (Md. vs. Penna.) by the rapidity of the "chick-a-dee-dee" call.

[@roygbiv1356]

I grew up on the Illinois/Wisconsin border and my favorite bird was always the Black Capped Chickadee. When I married and moved near the Indiana/Kentucky border I always thought the Black Capped Chickadees chirped oddly until I learned they were Carolina Chickadees doing their own thing.

[@donnabeaudin9114]

This is so great to know! I visit my son in South Carolina, can’t wait to check out the southern Dees! Thank you Lesley!

[@user-jk5ur9dh5h]

This is very useful information. I live in the hybrid zone, in northern New Jersey. Most of the chickadees here look like Carolinas because of their low contrast in colors. But I must say their songs are 2 syllables "phoebe" and the head looks large in proportion to their little bodies. They are so cute. Their flight to the bird feeder is very fast and accurate-- not fluttering around for a landing spot like the house finches. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@Teabonesteak]

Spring is coming!

[@LittleJordanFarm]

Good info..my favorite bird . Carolina for me

[@lisajones6107]

Fascinating. You are my go to for bird information, but I'll check the other one out too. Thanks for what you do!

[@cmart009]

We live in the hybrid zone, in Goshen, Indiana. We mostly see black-capped chickadees here, but there are a few odd ones that I've heard every now and then. Percentage-wise, I'd say we hear about 90% normal black-capped chickadee songs during the year. They frequent my feeders often, and it's hilarious to watch some of their antics. They're my absolutely favorite birds, and I love singing back to them when they do their "twee-dee-dee".

[@a.randomjack6661]

Merci une fois de plus Lesly. Made me think of Darwin and his finches. Take care.

[@jamesbentonticer4706]

Beautiful video work! Wow

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@sallyvitale7213]

Yeah! I was right I said I thought your next video would be about the chickadee. I love chickadees!! I live in Michigan so we have the black capped

[@canadiankabingurl9782]

So adorable 😍 ♥ I'm in Northeastern Ontario Canada 🍁 so I only have the Black Capped Chickadee. They're so sweet 💜 😊 and friendly. Thank you for sharing ☺

[@canadiankabingurl9782]

@@christopher-o6i4s ☺ 👍

[@ginaheller333]

My favorite birds!

[@raist315]

By the calls, I definitely have the black-capped. And they're bold enough to land on the branch the feeder is hanging from while I fill it.. With this past year of working from home, these have become my favorite birds at the feeders.

[@aaronmacy9134]

I know Chickadees love to line their nests with fur and for the past couple years I rinse and then brush my Golden Retriever and Corgi and leave the fur in a pile on a small table under a conifer in the yard throughout Spring. I’m never sure if I’m starting too early or too late though. I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota. You wouldn’t happen to know when they start nesting at this latitude, or who I might want to ask about it? Thanks Leslie! Another awesome vid!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

That is so nice of you to do that. I've been wanting to try offering fur to the ones in my area but always forget. About your question. In my area, the black-caps begin nesting in late April into May. I bet that yours start around that time or maybe just a little earlier. I'd definitely put it out in late March - early April. Hope this is accurate. :) Thanks for the nice comment

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

I do something similar... as the weather starts to warm up and we are no longer feeding suet, that's about the time we get our Brittany's winter fur shaved. We take a bag to the groomer and she puts our dogs shaved fur in it and that's what we use to fill the empty suet cage. They seem to like it, it always gets used up!

[@aaronmacy9134]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd Thanks so much! I appreciate the reply massively because I know you’re getting so many questions in the hundreds of comments on all your videos, so I understand the time and effort it takes to reply. So yeah, thanks so much!! ..and I’ll start putting fur out in the next week or so. Speaking of your channel, I’ll start linking your content in Reddit posts, hopefully it’ll bring you even more subscribers👍

[@aaronmacy9134]

@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane putting it in Suet cages is brilliant! While I have no shortage of loose Corgi fur (lol😂), I do throw away quite a bit of what I put on the table after a couple days or so after brushing because rain, insects, etc make it seem too gross to be offering it up to stuff someone’s nursery with. I’ll try the Suet cages this spring! Thanks for the tip!

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

@@aaronmacy9134 You're very welcome! At least all that hair can go to a good use, lol! I use an 'S' hook and hang the cage off my garden fence, that way sometimes I get lucky and see a chickadee, titmouse or nuthatch out my kitchen window grab a pinch of hair. It can help you figure out where their nests might be, too!

[@wyomingadventures]

I love the intro with the chickadee song. Very informative tips. I didn't even know about the South Carolina chickadee. You did a great job pointing out all the differences. All chickadees are so adorable! Thanks Leslie. I will check out the other channel.🖤🤍🤎

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful. :)

[@lyn3325]

Thank you so much! I was watching your black-capped chickadee video before I realized I was not watching Carolina Chickadees, but I didn't want to drop your channel because it is so cool. Now you gave me another good channel. Thanks

[@simple-serene-life]

We are in a hybrid zone as well, and I agree with Ashley. Until I saw a Carolina Chickadee with a distinctly smaller frame on our feeder, I thought that I would never be able to learn the difference. From the experience, I was also able to note the duller color palette of its feathers which made me more confident in telling some of these sweet birds apart.

[@lostbooks2918]

You know when this bird is talking to you and it's the cutest thing ever

[@troyclayton]

Thanks, Lesley! We have the Black Capped and Boreal Chickadees here in Maine, though we don't get the Boreal Chickadees where I live near the coast. Do you ever see them where you live?

[@Dragrath1]

She has a named visitor among her bird friends I think it is Speck the Boreal Chickadee though I may be messing up his name since he isn't as regularly represented as Lesley's Jay friends

[@flyakadventures8946]

Thanks Lesley for doing this comparison video. I live in North Carolina and I travel up to the Appalachian Mtns to see if I can identify the two distinct species, but throw in hybrids and it just about makes it impossible. It is very frustrating. I have observed Black Caps in the far North (Coniferous Forests,) and I agree their call is slower than the fast Carolina calls. Love all Chickadees!!!

[@JamieMiles_southmainmuse]

At my feeders in Georgia, the chickadees are tiny. I was so surprised to hear their Northern cousins were so much larger. And their trademark chickadedede is very fast. I agree that the Carolinas I see are much more gray. I don’t notice the under color like those black-capped in the videos. And my chickadees are almost skittish. Unfortunately. They land on the feeder and take off. Thanks for this fun look at these sweet birds.

[@alancassler2904]

I live in a hybrid area. Since I have been paying attention (a few years), I've gotten use to the sound of the black cap chickadees. Starting late last summer I started hearing chickadee songs I didn't recognize. So far this year I am mostly hearing Carolina (or hybrid songs) and not the ones I am familiar with. I am also seeing the skinnier and plainer Carolinas around the feeders more so than the Black Caps I recognize. The one BC likes to makes a fuss when I am refilling the sunflower seeds, so I know he's still around. Thanks for this video. It really helped me distinguish the two, or at least as well I am going to.

[@wilbur63wb]

Great video! Love how fearless black capped chickadees seem to be... Thanks...

[@noisysunset3264]

This is great! I get black capped chickadees at my feeder and they are by far the bravest little birds.

[@unipigstudios7794]

I used to think we only had black capped chickadees here until I got my first birding field guide which showed two practically identical chickadees. I later found that I live in the hybrid zone here in Pennsylvania. I hear a four note chickadee song nearly every morning that doesn’t quite sound like the one in the video, but I’ll tell you it’s the most sweet song of any Carolina! I mainly hear Carolina chickadees, some variations, and every once in a while I hear the two noted « hey dearie » black capped song. It’s interesting, when I would go out in the mornings I could only tell them apart by their whistled songs, but now thanks to your video I’ll know to pay more attention to physical differences as well as the pitch differences in the dee dee dee calls. Thanks!

[@moonmunster]

I live in the southern appalachains. I figured all the chickadees here were Carolina. But on your map I see the overlap range goes down the mountains. I will have to start looking closer to see if there are any blackcaps here. They might be at the upper elevations Great video. Chickadees are about my favorite birds, especially of the ones that come to the feeder.

[@kenycharles8600]

Thank you Lesley. I'll have to check out Birds Walking Down since I'm from Oklahoma. I might be able to identify more birds in my habitat. Great comparison you put out today!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video. I'd say that you will definitely find Birds Walking Down Channel pretty good with helping you to identify birds in your area. Thanks for the nice comment

[@hnguyen829]

Thank you so much! I thought I was going to never going to positively identify the chickadee in my backyard but after watching your video I can confidently say it’s a Carolina chickadee. I live in the far southeast

[@kellybaker6353]

I live near the hybrid zone. Most of what we have are black caps, but we don’t have to go far to get into Carolina territory. We definitely hear some odd songs too, so there are certainly some hybrids around. Loved seeing a video about them!

[@ericschroeder6274]

Thanks for all the great videos you do. I enjoy the chickadees the most. Do you have a live feed called Canadian bird nerd?

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

You're welcome really glad you enjoy the videos. About your question, no I don't have a live feed.

[@ericschroeder6274]

@@LesleytheBirdNerd ok,thanks. Check it out. You'll see some of your pals! Hehe.

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

That was a great comparison... I live where there are only black capped chickadees, so it was neat to see the differences. The chickadees that visit my feeders are definitely the boldest of the birds that do... they have waited just a couple feet away as I've filled the feeders, landed ON the feeders, and landed on my head, too! 😀

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Same here my chickadees are such bold little sweethearts. Isn't just adorable when one of them lands on your head?! haha! Making this video was very enjoyable because I've always wanted to know what the differences are between the Carolina and Black-cap. Now I have a better understanding since researching and seeing Terry's videos of the Carolina's. Definitely would be awesome to visit a location where the hybrid zone is. Thanks for the nice comment. Have a awesome day

[@sarahw.7668]

I didn't know there was more than one kind of chickadee all this time. I grew up in NE Ohio with Black Cap Chickadees and now live in close to the KY-TN border where the Carolina Chickadee lives. I always just thought they were Black Caps and understand now why they are shyer and don't come to the feeder if I'm near by like they did for me growing up. Thanks for making me a better birder today.

[@Solitaire1]

I live in the overlap zone in eastern Tennessee. It took me a while before I learned the difference after I moved here 5 years ago. I'll get both coming to my feeders and I suppose that I probably have a few hybrids as well. I lived most of my life with Black Capped around me and am very familiar with their noises. But overall I think I have more Carolina Chickadees than Black Capped where I live now. The first time I heard a Carolina sing I was confused and it took me awhile to figure why a bird that sounded both like and unlike a Chickadee was singing like that. Both of my species are quite fearless and I've had them fly up to my feeders when I am out cleaning/filling, scold me (for being too slow?) then fly away. Unfortunately I've only gotten two birds that have been bold enough to land on my hand to take sunflower seeds. I think both of them are Black Capped. The Carolinas that will come up to my deck when I spread some seed out are really fast. Zoom in, grab a sunflower seed, zoom out but stay close enough that I can watch them feed. The Black Capped seem to linger a little longer. This video helped reinforce my opinion of who is who as far as species go so thanks for that, Lesley. But I'll be taking a closer look at them to be sure I'm seeing what I thought I was seeing.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Awesome. I'm glad this video helped you to be more certain of who you are seeing. I hope you are able to see the differences the next time you see one of them. Thank you for sharing your experience with those fascinating chickadees.

[@Dragrath1]

Yeah the Range of the Carolina is expanding North as black caps are getting pushed out due to warming temperatures

[@SharonCullenArt]

Very informative and interesting. Thanks Lesley.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@oliviad8210]

Interesting what you said about the black-cappeds being braver.. last week a chickadee came up to my boyfriend’s face and was fluttering around his head for a few seconds. It was amazing!

[@BirdsandGhibliFan]

I’m glad you gave that other channel, Birds Walking Down a shoutout. I love that channel, too, and am subscribed to them as well. I live just below the hybrid zone, so I think I get a mixture of both species or hybrids, and I just didn’t realize it. According to how the chickadees look and the “Phoebe” and “Chickadee” calls I hear, the chickadees in my area look and sound like Carolina Chickadees, but their behavior resembles that of Black-Capped Chickadees, especially with being more curious or humans. When I’m rearranging or changing feeders under the tree in my backyard, the Chickadees will get really close to me and check me out in the tree. I think I’m almost getting to the point where I could hand-feed them. So, I’m guessing I live in an are where there’s both species and/or hybrids of those species. After watching this video, I have have made an effort in trying to see what species comes to the feeders, and noting any possible subtle differences instead of just assuming they’re Black-Capped Chickadees as I have done before. Thanks for sharing!

[@jennifercox2837]

Great video, Lesley! I live in the cross-over zone (Southwestern Suburbs of Philadelphia). Trying to tell apart Black-Capped or Carolina Chikadees seemed impossible, so I never really tried. But, after watching your video, I think I have mostly Carolina Chickadees. The birds I observed coming to my feeder today had a crisp bib and I could not see an outline on the covert feathers. Also, the spring song I remember hearing over the years is: feebee-feebay. I am excited to keep sluething, to see if I do have any Black-Capped chickadees. Thanks for doing an amazing job explaining the subtle differences.

[@Malryth]

Another AWESOME video from this Angelic Canadian birder. Thank you!!!

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

Aww that's really nice thing to say. :) Glad you enjoyed

[@crystalpentz1874]

Thanks for poiting out the differences between them. Happy Birthday.

[@rethablair6902]

My favorite backyard birds

[@yardwild]

Great video! Living near the Hybrid zone this has always been difficult for me. Thanks for helping clear things up!

[@Oltoir]

I live in the hybrid but Carolinas are still rare here, or possibly everyone just overlooks them....like I tend to do. I generally don't think twice when I hear or see a chickadee.. I just think Black Capped and move on ..but because I don't actually behave a Carolina on my list...I'm going to definitely be paying closer attention! And thanks to this video it will be a LOT easier, thanks Leslie!

[@SirVashtastic]

We got a lot of hybrids in New Jersey this video is awesome ty

[@Lauren-p8f]

i have to come back to this video SO MUCH because i live near the hybrid zone. i mainly see ones that look like carolina chickadees but sound like black caps.. oh the pain

[@kittybuscus]

I live in Missouri, which is literally cut in half on the map, so now I don’t know what I’ve actually been hearing or seeing 😂 great tips though, they will be very helpful!

[@TrueToad]

Great content. I spotted both BlackCapp species in VA. I do notice some differences in feather colors. Both are very energic and quite pleasant birds at the feeders, they take one seed at a time. As a bonus this year, I have Bluebirds for a second year in nest boxes and many Cardinals from a previous generation. Birds are awesome, especially this time of year.

[@LesleytheBirdNerd]

That is so awesome about you getting Bluebirds. Should be fun watching them raising babies again this year. I can only imagine how wonderful it is to watch the Cardinals raising nestlings too. Birds are pretty cool for sure. Thanks for the comment

[@sherryw.1466]

I live in Missouri, and according to the map I’m in the overlap zone. I had no idea. I thought I had black capped chickadees, but now I’m not sure. It would help greatly if they weren’t such fast little birds. My husband calls them the “jet fighters” of the bird world. They’re in and out of the feeder so quickly, and maneuver like a fighter plane. Love these guys! I guess I’ll be observing them more closely to see who I really have. 🤔

[@lynncanada1915]

This I need to learn. In NC and not sure which are in my yard, or maybe both? I have a bunch of chickadees. They are so darn cute I don't try too hard. Oh great, hybrids. ❤️❤️❤️❤️