BIRDwatch

Tufted Titmouse

By Cecily Nabors

“Here, here!” The call of a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) demands attention. This small gray-and-white bird with big, dark eyes and loads of personality is the largest American titmouse and the only one in the East. Males and females look alike. Gray crests and dark foreheads make titmice easy to recognize, although they are often heard but not seen. Their two-note song, “Peter, peter, peter,” rings through woodlands, and their buzzy fussing brings other birds to harass an intruder. Titmice are common in our area, and because they don’t migrate, we can enjoy their active, noisy presence yearround. They are in the same family as chickadees, and in winter are often found in mixed flocks with their family members. Winter is a challenge for a 21-gram bird. To reduce heat loss, titmice seek shelter and fluff out their feathers; they will also shiver to raise their metabolism rate. Bird feeders can provide significant support for these small stalwarts. Tufted Titmouse pair bonds may last a year or more. Territorial singing starts in late winter. In early spring, with hormones perking, courtship behavior begins. If two titmice are bouncing around in branches or foraging on the ground in a companionable way, and if one feeds a tidbit to the other, the odds are good they are a pair. What’s a titmouse tidbit? Almost anything! Titmice are omnivores, gleaning and probing crevices along shrub or tree branches, or foraging amid leaf litter on the ground. Much of their diet consists of caterpillars, spiders, and beetles, but they also eat berries, acorns, and seeds. They are great savers of seeds, caching them in cracks, under loose bark, or even in the angles between branches. Fortunately, titmice have amazing memories, as many studies of both titmice and chickadees have shown. Their astute memory and spatial cognition compare well with those of corvids, so these little “bird brains” easily retrieve their stored hoards. Besides offering tidbits, courtship may include chases through the woods or gliding together on spring breezes. Males fight off other males in agitated combat, and join with other birds to scold dangerous intruders such as hawks. The birds scout nest sites in March, with building occurring in early April. Tufted Titmice nest in cavities, often using woodpecker holes, knotholes, or hollows in large trees, such as beeches, oaks, and maples. They will also use bird houses, fence posts, or broken tree branches—any cavity that will hold a nest. They line the bottom of the cavity with bark strips and dead leaves, adding moss and grass to form a cup. Then they decorate with a strip of snakeskin, and finish with a comfortable pad of fur and hair. The latter materials may be snatched from raccoons, rabbits, and other animals, including pets and people’s heads(!). The female incubates the eggs, sitting tight despite any external commotion. Her mate calls her out to him when he brings her food. Both parents feed the hatchlings, usually with caterpillars and soft insects. The young may stay with the parents for the rest of the year. Luring titmice to your yard involves the usual trio: food, shelter, nest sites. Tufted Titmice come readily to feeders, preferring black-oil sunflower seed. Studies show that they always take the largest seed they can find—more evidence of their cognitive abilities. They may hammer the seed open with their stout beaks and eat it near the feeder or fly off with it to save in their “food bank” for future need. A location with plenty of native plants and shrubs, and trees that produce seeds or nuts, will draw in titmice and many other avian species. It’s a good idea to leave dead trees standing, if possible, because their natural or woodpecker-carved cavities will provide shelter as well as nest sites. Titmice will also use bird boxes, so one that’s up and ready early might be a titmouse magnet. Bright eyes brimming with secret knowledge, jaunty crests flashing with energy—Tufted Titmice bring pizazz to our gardens. o

Cecily Nabors is a retired software manager who has been watching and counting birds for much of her life. She publishes the GoodNatured Observations blog at cecilynabors.com.