The tufted titmouse is a small songbird that is a year-round resident across much of the eastern and south-central United States. While they do not migrate long distances, tufted titmice will move around within their breeding range to find reliable food sources during the winter months.
Tufted Titmouse Overview
The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small, gray bird with a black forehead and a prominent crest. They are approximately 6-7 inches in length and have a wingspan of 10-12 inches. Some of the key identifying features of the tufted titmouse include:
- Gray upper body with whitish underside
- Black forehead and eyes
- Crest on top of head that can be raised and lowered
- Loud, whistled song patterns
Tufted titmice are energetic, active birds that are almost always seen in pairs or family groups as they do not migrate in large flocks. They prefer living in woodland habitats, especially areas with a mix of trees and shrubs.Their diet consists mainly of insects, spiders, seeds and nuts. In winter they will join mixed flocks with chickadees, nuthatches and other species to forage for food.
Tufted Titmouse Year-Round and Winter Ranges
Tufted titmice are found year-round across much of the eastern half of the United States. Their breeding range extends from southern New England west to Nebraska and south to Texas and the Gulf Coast. They are common permanent residents throughout the southeastern states.
Within their overall range, tufted titmice are non-migratory. However, they will make local movements and wander more widely during the winter months to seek out areas with adequate food supplies. They generally do not migrate more than around 30 miles between their breeding and wintering sites.
Here are some details on where tufted titmice occur during the winter across different parts of their range:
- In New England, they are restricted to southern areas in winter including southern Connecticut, Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
- In the Mid-Atlantic region centered around the Appalachian Mountains they can be found year-round from southern Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia.
- They occur year-round across the Southeastern states from the Carolinas west to eastern Texas.
- Along the Gulf Coast they are permanent residents from eastern Texas over to Florida.
- In the Midwest, they retreat somewhat from the far northern areas in winter, but remain common throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and eastern Kansas.
- Their western range reaches just into eastern Nebraska and Oklahoma in winter.
Based on these geographic patterns, most tufted titmice that breed in the northern parts of their range migrate or disperse short distances south and to lower elevations for the winter. Their winter distribution centers around the Ohio River Valley, the Southeast, Texas and the southern Midwest.
Tufted Titmouse Habitats
Tufted titmice are found in a variety of semi-open woodland habitats during the winter. Some typical places they occur include:
- Mixed forests with a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees.
- Pine-oak woodlands.
- Streamside woods and riparian corridors.
- Parks, suburbs and residential woods.
- Partially-wooded wetlands.
- Orchards and shade trees in rural areas.
They prefer habitats with a dense understory of shrubs and small trees that provide protection, nesting sites and food sources. Some trees and shrubs commonly found in titmouse winter habitat include oaks, maples, dogwoods, serviceberry, sumac and junipers.
In winter, tufted titmice often join loose flocks with chickadees, nuthatches and downy woodpeckers. These flocks allow them to more efficiently find and utilize patchy food resources in their territories.
Tufted Titmouse Food and Feeding
Tufted titmice are omnivorous and eat a varied diet consisting of insects, spiders, seeds and nuts. Their diet shifts somewhat in winter to take advantage of seasonal food sources. Some of their primary foods during winter are:
- Seeds and nuts – acorns, beechnuts, hazelnuts, maples, pines.
- Berries – sumac, poison ivy, Virginia creeper, dogwood, hackberry.
- Insects – beetles, caterpillars, wasps and bees, leafhoppers.
- Spiders
- Eggs and young of other birds
- Suet and bird feeders
Tufted titmice use a variety of foraging methods while searching for food in winter. These include gleaning insects, spiders and larvae from crevices in tree bark, excavating into acorns or beechnuts, probing into clumps of dead leaves, hanging upside down to reach under branches, and occasional hovering to pick insects off leaves. Their small size allows them to search for food on the outer twigs and branches of trees.
At bird feeders, black oil sunflower seeds are one of their favorite winter foods. They will also eat suet, peanut hearts or pieces, raisins, millet and cracked nuts. Platform feeders, suet feeders and tube feeders are all readily used by tufted titmice, especially if placed near trees or shrubs for quick escape.
By joining winter flocks led by chickadees or nuthatches, titmice can take advantage of these species’ food-finding abilities and behaviors. Mixed flocks allow more thorough searching of territories and intake of adequate calories during harsh weather.
Tufted Titmouse Winter Behavior
The social structure and behavior of tufted titmice changes somewhat during the winter months:
- They spend more time in flocks foraging for widely-dispersed foods.
- Breeding pairs usually remain together and stay in the same territory.
- Dominance hierarchies form within winter flocks.
- Roosting may occur in cavities or nest boxes for additional warmth at night.
- They may cache or hoard foods to eat later.
- territorial disputes are less aggressive than in breeding season.
Tufted titmice are energetic and acrobatic as they search for food in winter. Watch for them hanging upside-down, fluttering to catch insects, excavating into acorns, and contorting themselves to reach into nooks and crannies. Their constant contact calls help maintain communication in their flocks.
Roosting in enclosed cavities helps titmice conserve energy overnight when temperatures are coldest. They often reuse their old nest sites or natural tree cavities on winter nights. You may also see multiple birds roosting together for additional warmth.
Tufted Titmouse Winter ID Tips
Identifying tufted titmice is usually straightforward year-round. Some tips for picking them out in winter include:
- Size smaller than a sparrow, larger than a chickadee.
- Fluffy, rounded body shape.
- Gray on back and wings, whitish below.
- Bold black forehead patching back to eyes.
- Obvious crest almost always visible.
- Loud, whistled song notes.
- Very active movements while foraging.
- Usually in loose flocks with chickadees and nuthatches.
The crest is the most reliable field mark since it is almost always raised. Juveniles have a smaller crest and black markings around the face. Tiny chickadees are frequent companions that help show the titmouse’s larger size.
Conclusion
In summary, tufted titmice are non-migratory but make small regional movements and shift their habitat use and foraging behaviors to adapt to winter conditions. They occur year-round across most of their range in the eastern and south-central United States. In winter they are found in a variety of semi-open, deciduous woodlands, parks and suburban areas with access to seeds, nuts, insects and spiders. By joining loose flocks and using cavities or nest boxes for roosting, tufted titmice are well-equipped to get through cold winters throughout their range.
