Tufted Titmouse Adult, Ash, NC, 2012. Dick Daniels. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Tufted Titmouse Adult, Ash, NC, 2008. Dick Daniels. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

tufted titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

Identification: 
This bird is a little bigger than a sparrow.  It is a delicate gray on back and tail, with a white front and rusty wash beneath the wings.  It has a “tuft,” a black forehead, and a bright beady black eye.

Behavior:
The Tufted Titmouse flits from tree to tree and is a frequent feeder visitor.  It will take a sunflower seed, retreat to a tree, and whack it open to get at the fruit.  Its sweet plaintive whistle is an early sound of spring.  It is a cavity nester, but can’t make its own cavity.    

What brings it to the SBG?
Food, cover, nesting sites.  This bird consumes both seeds and insects and prefers wooded habitats, but also is common in parkland and suburban backyards.  It will accept nesting boxes.

When can I see it?
Year-round.