Baeolophus bicolor
adult
With its hallmark crest, the Tufted Titmouse is a familiar and distinctive songbird. The sexes are similar. Adults have pale blue-gray upperparts with a blackish forehead and peaked crest. The very pale gray underparts are palest on the undertail, and suffused with orange-buff on the flanks. The pale face shows off the dark eye. The bill is dark and legs are blue-gray. Juveniles are similar to adults but the forehead is gray.
The Tufted Titmouse is a year-round resident of wooded habitats in eastern North America. It is not shy, making it easy to find and observe well. The species often visits garden feeders, especially in winter, and responds well to the introduction of nestboxes; these are a substitute for the treehole nest sites it uses in the wild.
adult
FACT FILE
LENGTH 6–6.5 in (15–16.5 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates and seeds
HABITAT Open deciduous woodland, and wooded parks and gardens
STATUS Widespread and common resident
VOICE Song comprises a series of disyllabic pee-tu phrases. Call is a nasal zee-zee
