Name: Tufted Titmouse

Description: The Tufted Titmouse is a very social bird, although not as tame as the Chickadee. The Tufted Titmouse can often be seen in small mixed flocks of Chickadees, Nuthatches and small Woodpeckers at feeders. This small bird often clings to the bark of trees and hangs upside down to pick insects and spiders from under a leaf or a twig. The Tufted Titmouse breeds from eastern Nebraska, Michigan and Maine north to Ontario and south to northeastern Mexico, Texas, the Gulf Coast and central Florida.

Other Names: None

Color: The Tufted Titmouse has a distinctive black forehead and a small crest of feathers sticking up on its head. The upper parts are gray, with slightly darker gray flight feathers. The face and under parts are white with reddish-brown flanks. The dark eye and eye ring are prominent on its white face.

Sound: The Tufted Titmouse’s song is a loud, whistled “peter, peter, peter, peter.” Its call is a scratchy, chickadee-like “tsee-day-day-day.” It also makes fussy, scolding notes.

Preferred Environment: Favored habitats of the Tufted Titmouse include swampy or moist woodlands and urban shade trees. Tufted Titmice have become accustomed to people and will live in parks and yards.

Nesting Habits: Tufted Titmice mate for life. It builds its nest in a hole in a tree, constructing it of leaves, moss, dried grass, hair, strips of bark, and sometimes feathers, lined with hair or similar materials.

Food Preference: The Tufted Titmouse feeds on black-oil sunflower, striped sunflower, safflower, shelled peanuts and suet.