Where Faith & Adventure Meet

From acbirds.org​

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The active and agile Tufted Titmouse is easily recognized by its jaunty crest of gray feathers, big black eyes, and rust-colored flanks. This familiar bird feeder visitor often joins mixed foraging flocks with other common backyard birds such as the White-breasted Nuthatch and Black-capped Chickadee.

More Than a Mouse

The Tufted Titmouse's name derives from the Old English words "tit" and "mase," basically meaning "small bird." The word "mase" eventually became obsolete and this part of the name morphed into the familiar word "mouse," a convenient switch because the quick-moving little gray bird probably reminded people of the small rodent.

The Tufted Titmouse's genus name Baeolophus hails from two Greek words for "small" and "crest." All five titmice species in this genus are found only in North America.

Expanding Range

Once thought of as a southern species, the Tufted Titmouse has steadily expanded its range northward. At the start of the 20th century, this species was found only as far north as New Jersey and Iowa. Today, it reaches southern Quebec and Ontario. Researchers think this expansion is likely due to warming winters, an increase in winter bird-feeding, and large areas of maturing woodland.

The Tufted Titmouse is a sedentary (nonmigratory) species, and mated pairs stay together on territory throughout the year. Young birds may disperse short to medium distances in search of new territories.

The Black-crested Titmouse, found in mesquite shrub in Texas, southern Oklahoma, and northeastern Mexico, was once considered a Tufted Titmouse subspecies, but the two were split into separate species in 2002, based on differences in ecology, physiology, and song. The Tufted Titmouse and Black-crested Titmouse hybridize where their ranges meet in central Texas and southern Oklahoma.

Like others in its family, such as the Black-capped Chickadee, the Tufted Titmouse is very vocal, employing a variety of calls to keep in contact with its family group, defend its territory, and warn against predators. During the spring and summer, it sings a sweet, repeated peter-peter-peter song.