Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse: The largest titmouse, it has gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, rust-brown flanks. Head has dark gray cap and crest, pale gray face, and white eye-ring. Bill is black. Wings and tail are gray. Legs and feet are gray. Most spend their entire lives not far from their birthplace.
● Song:
"peter;peter;peter", "peto,peto,peto"
● Foraging & Feeding:
Tufted Titmouse: Eats insects, spiders, snails, various berries, acorns, and seeds. Forages in trees, sometimes upside down; often in mixed species flocks
● Breeding & 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.
● Similar species:
Tufted Titmouse: Phainopepla is larger and dull gray overall.
Flight Pattern
Weak fluttering short flights with shallow rapid wing beats., Flittering flight with several quick wing beats alternating with wings drawn to sides, then repeated.