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Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Bushtit (Aegithalidae)
Codes: Common Name: BUSH Scientific Name: PSAMIN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178764

Breeding Location:

Forest, Desert, semi, Scrub vegetation areas



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester



Breeding Population:



Egg Color:

White



Number of Eggs:

5 - 7



Incubation Days:

12



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

Jug-shaped hanging pouch lined with vegetation and often secured by a spider web.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar

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General

Bushtit: Tiny, acrobatic bird with gray-brown upperparts and paler underparts. Eyes are dark brown, bill is tiny, and tail is long. Pacific coast race has brown crown. Rocky Mountain race has gray cap and brown ear patch. South New Mexico/Texas race has black mask and ear patch. Female has less distinct markings and pale yellow eyes.

Range and Habitat

Bushtit: Resident from extreme southwestern British Columbia, southern Idaho, southwestern Wyoming, and the Oklahoma panhandle southward. The preferred habitats include coastal forests among second-growth alder thickets and edges of coniferous forests composed of maple, dogwood, and birch.

Breeding and Nesting

Bushtit: Five to seven white eggs are laid in a hanging, gourd-shaped nest with a side entrance near the top; nest is made of soft plant wool and lichens, and suspended in a bush or tree. Both parents incubate eggs for approximately 12 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Bushtit: Feeds on insects and spiders; also small fruit seeds.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed

Vocalization

Bushtit: Calls of "tsip" and "pit" are constantly uttered. Alarm call is a high trill.

Similar Species

Bushtit: Juniper Titmouse and Oak Titmouse are larger and have head tufts and larger bills. Juvenile Verdin has shorter tail, gray-brown upperparts, and gray-brown wash on its sides.

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Family Bushtit (Aegithalidae)_blue
Species Psaltriparus minimus
Length4.5 Inches
Wingspan7 Inches

Bushtit

Bushtit: Tiny, acrobatic bird with gray-brown upperparts and paler underparts. Eyes are dark brown, bill is tiny, and tail is long. Pacific coast race has brown crown. Rocky Mountain race has gray cap and brown ear patch. South New Mexico/Texas race has black mask, ear patch. Weak fluttering flight.

● Song: "tsip", "pit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bushtit: Feeds on insects and spiders; also small fruit seeds.

● Breeding & nesting: Bushtit: Five to seven white eggs are laid in a hanging, gourd-shaped nest with a side entrance near the top; nest is made of soft plant wool and lichens, and suspended in a bush or tree. Both parents incubate eggs for approximately 12 days.

● Similar species: Bushtit: Juniper Titmouse and Oak Titmouse are larger and have head tufts and larger bills. Juvenile Verdin has shorter tail, gray-brown upperparts, and gray-brown wash on its sides.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering flights of short duration.
Bushtit Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Bushtit: Resident from extreme southwestern British Columbia, southern Idaho, southwestern Wyoming, and the Oklahoma panhandle southward. The preferred habitats include coastal forests among second-growth alder thickets and edges of coniferous forests composed of maple, dogwood, and birch.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight0.2 Ounces
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
CapX
The area on top of the head of the bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
Ear patchX
Consists of soft, loose-webbed feathers on the side of the bird's head below and behind the eyes.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX