100 More species #70: Tufted titmouse

[urbpan]

Tufted titmouse Baeolophus bicolor

I could probably get a better shot of a titmouse, since they are among the most commonly seen winter birds in our area, but I feel some time pressure. Titmice are close cousins to the chickadee, with distinctive crests and what Cornell calls an "acrobatic" but "methodical" foraging style. This one is holding its crest down, a pose that memorably flummoxed a friend of mine: "They can DO that?" One of the strengths of Sibley's field guide is that it shows such confusing postures.

About half the time that I hear a high pitched bird call that I can't quite identify it turns out to be a titmouse.

Comments

[donnad.livejournal.com]

We have a lot of Titmouses (Titmice?) and chickadees in our area too. But the most common bird for the last couple weeks has been the Dark-Eyed Juncos. We usually see a few, but there have been swarms of them this year.

Once I got my feeders back up, after the unfortunate misshap with the bear this past summer, the birds have all come back. It's been very colorful here some mornings with the bluejays, cardinals, mourning doves, chickadees, juncos, nuthatches crows and downy woodpeckers all sharing the feeders. We occasionally get a Pileated woodpecker, he's huge! (Yes, on the suet feeder)

Love the pictures and info, keep it up!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words!

Alexis hates the juncos SO MUCH.

Husker Du

[dedhamoutdoors.livejournal.com]

Titmouse is cute, music is awesome.

Re: Husker Du

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Next post has no music listed. Too hard an act to follow, I'd rather just keep hearing the song in my head.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

I think the titmouse call sounds like a chickadee mimicking a blue jay, and that's how I identify it.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

About half the time that I hear a high pitched bird call that I can't quite identify it turns out to be a titmouse.

Same over here too. From Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book: ""one final piece of advice from years of experience: if you hear a call and don't recognise it - it's a Great Tit."

My own years of experience concur with that.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that's great! :D