Tufted Titmouse
photo by Dawn Huczek
The tufted titmouse is probably one of the bravest little birds that I have encountered. When my wife and son made the milk carton bird feeder the titmouse was its very first visitor. The bird feeder was hung two feet from the back door so I wondered if any bird would brave coming so close to the sliding glass door.
The titmouse has been known to eat from peoples hand after a little practice. They are as curious about us as we are them. The bird is a small songbird in North America that whistles a peter-peter-peter sound. They look like they have little Mohawks or spiked hair. Typically they are gray in color with large black eyes and a black forehead. Sometimes they have a splash of yellow color under their wings.
Two Tufted Titmouse
photo by Peanix
I’ve seen the tufted titmouse eating from the ground and on the feeders. They are very versatile when it comes to food. The titmouse will grab a seed and carry it to the nearest perch where he/she will break it open with their bill and eat it. The little bird seems to get along with the other species of birds at the feeders. The tufted titmouse does not migrate as some other birds do but prefers to hang around a food source year-round. Below is a map of their current range which is expanded north as global warming does.
Tufted Titmouse Range Map
Above is a range map of the Tufted Titmouse. Reprinted with permission from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. A customizable map with different geographical areas, times of year, and sightings for the tufted titmouse can be found here.
The little titmouse eats insects, seeds, nuts, and berries. I haven’t found many foods that they don’t like. They really loved the peanut butter pine cone that I made a few weeks ago. They also like to store food for later use and their nests are made in holes in trees or some other cavity such as a birdhouse.
When building a tufted titmouse birdhouse use the dimensions specified on my post about Bird House Hole Sizes and Dimensions. The titmouse is a welcomed bird at all my feeders and birdhouses and I hope they keep coming back.