General

Tufted Titmouse: Large titmouse with gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, and rust-brown flanks. Head has dark gray cap and crest, pale gray face, and white eye-ring. Wings and tail are gray. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller.

Range and Habitat

Tufted Titmouse: This resident species breeds from eastern Nebraska south to the Gulf Coast of Texas and across the eastern states from Florida north to southern Maine. Its range also extends to extreme southern Ontario and Quebec. Its preferred habitats include swampy or moist woodlands, and urban shade trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Tufted Titmouse: Four to eight brown-speckled, creamy white eggs are laid in a natural cavity, bird box, or woodpecker hole lined with bark, leaves, soft grass, moss, snakeskin, and bits of animal fur. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Tufted Titmouse: Eats insects, spiders, snails, various berries, acorns, and seeds. Forages in trees, sometimes upside down; often in mixed species flocks

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed

Feeder Type

Seed tube feeder, Suet cake feeder, Shelled peanut feeder

Vocalization

Tufted Titmouse: Song is a bold, high-pitched, whistled "peter, peter; peter" or "peto,peto,peto." Call varies from high-pitched, thin squeaky notes to low, harsh, fussy scolding notes.

Similar Species

Tufted Titmouse: Phainopepla is larger and dull gray overall.