Meet the Tufted Titmouse, a Bird that Stays Year Around
The tufted titmouse is a friendly and inquisitive bird that will provide backyard viewing pleasure year around. The tufted titmouse (plural is titmice) derives it’s unusual name from the Old English language and the word translates to ‘small bird’. The small tuft of feathers on it’s head is likely the origin of the prefix, tufted.
Color Me Fun
A tufted titmouse is in the top ten backyard species most often seen, but it’s color makes it less noticeable or desirable than it flashier contemporaries like the red birds and blue jays. A tuft of gray feathers atop it’s head with a gray back, white breast and orange-tinged flanks make this tiny bird less than a stand out, but it’s fun behavior makes it very noticeable. A tufted titmouse is attracted to human voices and will often come close to humans talking within their area. Imitating their call or making kissing sounds with your lips will also bring the tufted titmouse into close range to investigate where the noise is coming from. Backyard resident titmice will often tap on your home’s glass windows if they see you inside or see their own reflection in the glass.
The nesting season increases the tiny bird’s boldness and inquisitiveness and the bird will often pluck hairs from a family pet or human head for use as nesting material.
Tufted Titmice House
Most tufted titmice make their homes in natural tree cavities, but will use bird houses for nesting if the house has the desired size and height (small house with small door opening placed around 6 feet off the ground in a tree or shrub). Titmice use leaves, grass, moss, tree bark and hair to build their nests, then the female will lay five or six white-speckled eggs. A nesting pair who have found suitable lodging and plenty of food will remain in the same location year around and raise two broods per year. Titmice are found all across the eastern part of the United States and are equally at home in damp, unpopulated woodland areas and heavily populated areas with a few shade trees and plenty of food.
Preferred Food
The little tufted titmouse has a voracious appetite and is often the first bird on the scene after the birdfeeder has been refilled. In addition to bird seed, tufted titmice eat insects, nuts and berries in the wild, and enjoy peanut butter and suet offered by their human hosts.
Source:
