GALLERIES > BIRDS > PASSERIFORMES > PARIDAE > TUFTED TITMOUSE [Baeolophus bicolor] [plot on map]
Location: Chagrin River Park, OHGPS: 41.7N, -81.4W, elev=594' MAP Date: May 9, 2012 ID : B13K7090 [4896 x 3264]
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Location: Chagrin River Park, OHGPS: 41.7N, -81.4W, elev=594' MAP Date: May 9, 2012 ID : B13K7104 [4896 x 3264]
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Location: Chagrin River Park, OHGPS: 41.7N, -81.4W, elev=594' MAP Date: May 9, 2012 ID : B13K7106 [4896 x 3264]
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Location: Chagrin River Park, OHGPS: 41.7N, -81.4W, elev=594' MAP Date: May 9, 2012 ID : B13K7097 [4896 x 3264]
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Location: Chagrin River Park, OHGPS: 41.7N, -81.4W, elev=594' MAP Date: May 9, 2012 ID : B13K7083 [4896 x 3264]
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Location: North Chagrin Park, Willoughby Hills, OHGPS: 41.6N, -81.4W, elev=895' MAP Date: January 12, 2009 ID : 7C2V3563 [3888 x 2592]
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Location: North Chagrin Park, Willoughby Hills, OHGPS: 41.6N, -81.4W, elev=895' MAP Date: January 12, 2009 ID : 7C2V3550 [3888 x 2592]
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Location: Dublin, GAGPS: 32.5N, -82.9W, elev=231' MAP Date: February 9, 2008 ID : 3221 [3888 x 2592]
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SPECIES INFO
The Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor, is a small songbird from central North America, a species in the tit and chickadee family (Paridae). The Black-crested Titmouse, which is found from central and southern Texas southwards, was included as a subspecies but is now considered a separate species B. atricristatus.
These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face, a grey crest, a dark forehead and a short stout bill; they have rust-coloured flanks. The song is usually described as a whistled peter-peter-peter. They make a variety of different sounds, most having a similar tone quality.
Its breeding habitat is deciduous and mixed woods in southeastern Canada and the eastern United States. They nest in a hole in a tree, either a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. They line the nest with soft materials, sometimes plucking hair from a live animal such as a dog. If they find shed snake skin, they will try to incorporate pieces of it in their nest. Sometimes, a bird born the year before remains to help its parents raise the next year's young. The pair may remain together and defend their territory year-round. These birds are permanent residents and often join small mixed flocks in winter.
They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use. Tufted titmice tend to be curious about their human neighbors and can sometimes be spotted on window ledges peering into the windows to watch what's going on inside. They are more shy when seen at bird feeders; their normal pattern there is to scout the feeder from the cover of trees or bushes, fly to the feeder, take a seed, and fly back to cover to eat it.
This bird's range is expanding northwards, possibly with the increased availability of food at bird feeders.
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