Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped ChickadeeBlack-capped ChickadeeBlack-capped ChickadeeBlack-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
284 Verified records at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, nonmigratory, North American passerine bird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. It is a member of the Paridae family, also known as tits. It has a distinct black cap on its head, a black bib underneath, and white cheeks. It has a white belly, buff sides, and grey wings, back, and tail. The bird is well known for its vocalizations, including its fee-bee song and its chick-a-dee-dee-dee call, from which it derives its name. The black-capped chickadee is widely distributed throughout North America, ranging from the northern United States to southern Canada and all the way up to Alaska and Yukon. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Chickadee sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 284 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Carolina Chickadee
LC Endemic

Carolina Chickadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Poecile carolinensis

70–80% · Very likely
Tufted Titmouse
LC

Tufted Titmouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Baeolophus bicolor

60–70% · Likely
American Crow
LC

American Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus brachyrhynchos

70–80% · Very likely
Northern Cardinal
LC Endemic

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

70–80% · Very likely
Carolina Wren
LC

Carolina Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thryothorus ludovicianus

70–80% · Very likely
American Robin
LC Endemic

American Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus migratorius

60–70% · Likely
Blue Jay
LC

Blue Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocitta cristata

50–60% · Likely
Song Sparrow
LC Endemic

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

50–60% · Likely
American Goldfinch
LC

American Goldfinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spinus tristis

40–50% · Likely
Eastern Phoebe
LC

Eastern Phoebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sayornis phoebe

40–50% · Likely
Eastern Bluebird
LC

Eastern Bluebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sialia sialis

40–50% · Likely
Eastern Towhee
LC

Eastern Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
5–10
May
10–20
Jun
5–10
Jul
<5
Aug
5–10
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
2 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
3 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
4 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
5 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
6 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
7 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
8 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
9 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
10 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
11 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
12 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
13 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
14 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
15 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
16 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
17 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
18 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
19 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
20 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
21 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
22 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
23 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
24 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
25 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
29 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
30 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black-capped Chickadee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

About 4% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Chickadee sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 284 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black-capped Chickadee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Black-capped Chickadee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Great Smoky Mountains National Park