Species Spotlight: Tufted Titmouse
Looks Like: The Tufted Titmouse has a uniform pale gray body, white underbelly, black forehead and orange-buff flanks. The short, pointed crest and a short, stout bill help identify titmice even in silhouette.
Lives In: Tufted Titmice prefer to live in mature, deciduous forests. They can be seen in woodlands and groves. These birds can also be found in orchards, suburbs, and city parks if trees are large enough.
Niche: An adaptable bird, the Tufted Titmouse can often be found in pairs or small flocks with other songbirds, like Chickadees. The Tufted Titmouse feeds on mostly insects and seeds, so seeing this bird at a bird feeder is very common.
Threats: There are no current threats to the Tufted Titmouse. They are an adaptable bird species and can successfully survive in many habitats.
Frequency: Normally a southern songbird, the Tufted Titmouse has been expanding northward in recent decades. The Tufted Titmouse was first sighted in the Shawangunks in 1948, and it was not until the late 1950s that observers across the region were seeing this bird throughout the year.
Reproduction: Titmice build small, cup-shaped nests or use nest boxes. They pack their nests with damp leaves, moss, grasses, bark strips, and even plucked hair from other animals. Pairs of breeding titmice remain together all year. While the female sits on 5–6 white, finely-dotted eggs, the male will feed the female. The pair may also have a “helper,” one of their offspring from a previous year. The young will leave the nest within 15–16 days after they hatch.
Fun Fact: The Tufted Titmouse has a peter-peter-peter-peter whistle series that is repeated over and over. During the fall and winter, this bird species will hoard food. The hoarded food usually comes from winter bird feeders and is often located more than 100 feet from the feeder.
