Bird Of The Week: The Tufted Titmouse
Kai Goldstein | February 4, 2025
Tufted Titmouse || Baelophus bicolor
Ow! Did someone just pull your hair? Perhaps it was a Tufted Titmouse, which will incorporate hair in their nests ripped straight from live mammals. They spend the whole year in our region, nesting in natural holes or cavities excavated and abandoned by woodpeckers. If you think you have an appetite, bow down to the all-hungry Titmouse.
Caterpillars, beetles, ants, wasps, treehoppers, spiders, snails, seeds, nuts and berries are all on the menu for this little glutton. When digging into shelled seeds they will hold them down with their feet and crack them open with their beak. Once shelled, they stockpile the seeds before winter, usually in bark crevices near their nest. These incredible acrobats dart from branch to branch, hanging sideways and often upside down as they search for food. Their peppy moves and cheery whistles are always mesmerizing to observe.