West · Pacific Flyway
Chickadees in Oregon
Chickadees in Oregon come down to 3 species with regular eBird records, led by the Black-capped Chickadee. Together they account for 557,980 of the 17 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 3.3% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Mountain Chickadee. Chickadees are the small, round, black-capped birds that visit feeders all winter and lead the mixed flocks of nuthatches and kinglets moving through the woods. Each region has its own species, and their ranges barely overlap.
Chickadees in Oregon: every species, most-reported first
Every chickadee with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) — 342,198 records, 2.0% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) — 148,023 records, 0.9% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) — 67,759 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When to see chickadees in Oregon
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, chickadees are most prominent in February, January and December and least in May and June. All of the 3 species are year-round — Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Mountain Chickadee — so there is no month without them.
Attracting chickadees to Oregon backyards
Black-oil sunflower seed, suet, and a nest box with a small entrance hole are the three things chickadees want. They are among the first birds to find a new feeder and among the tamest at it.
In Oregon the chickadee most likely to turn up is the Black-capped Chickadee, a year-round resident, followed by the Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Chickadees in Oregon: FAQ
How many species of chickadees are there in Oregon?
3 species of chickadees have regular eBird records in Oregon (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and Mountain Chickadee.
What is the most common chickadee in Oregon?
The Black-capped Chickadee, with 342,198 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Chestnut-backed Chickadee with 148,023. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see chickadees in Oregon?
Any time of year — every chickadee regularly recorded in Oregon is a year-round resident. Their combined share of eBird records is highest in February, January and December.
Are there chickadees in Oregon?
Yes. the Black-capped Chickadee (342,198 eBird records, year-round), the Chestnut-backed Chickadee (148,023 eBird records, year-round) and the Mountain Chickadee (67,759 eBird records, year-round) are regularly recorded in Oregon.
More birds in Oregon
Chickadees in other states
Chickadees in Oregon: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Oregon records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Paridae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.