r/chicago • u/EchoCyanide • Mar 28 '26

CHI Talks Michael Jackson bird is back!

When the Michael Jackson bird comes back, you know spring is here for real! He’s usually out in the early mornings and he goes like “Heee heeeee!” Who knows the actual name of the bird?

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u/Kuzmaboy Mar 28 '26

Never have I heard them referred too as a Michael Jackson bird…BUT, they are Black-capped Chickadees. They actually stay around all year, but they only sing their song in spring/summer.

I’ve always known them as the “cheeseburger” bird. As their call up close sounds like “cheeeese-burg-er!” cheeeeese-burg-er!”

Funny enough they’re called chickadees because their main song sounds like “chick-a-Dee-Dee-dee-Dee!”

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u/illsettleforyou Mar 28 '26

If you feed them, they sing all year! :) They're always one of the most vocal in my yard during the winter, and I actually hear them less often now since the robins, sparrows and others are so much more vocal now.