Tufted Titmouse

Overview

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.

Range and Habitat

Tufted Titmouse: Breeds from eastern Nebraska, southern Michigan, and Maine south to Texas, the Gulf Coast, and central Florida. Preferred habitats include swampy or moist woodlands, and urban shade trees.

INTERESTING FACTS

Most Tufted Titmice live their entire life within a few kilometers of their birthplace.
In Cherokee legend, they are regarded as messengers.
They only occur in areas where rainfall is greater than 24 inches per year, and are more common where rainfall exceeds 32 inches per year.
A group of titmice are collectively known as a "banditry" and a "dissimulation" of titmice.

The Tufted Titmouse has a large range, estimated globally at 3,000,000 square kilometers. Native to the United States and Canada, this bird prefers shrubland or forest ecosystems, though it can live on arable land or even in urban areas. The global population of this bird is estimated at 12,000,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Tufted Titmouse is Least Concern.