Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in English:
Tufted Titmouse
Common Names in French:
Mésange Bicolore
Description
Family Paridae
A large Family of small stocky woodland passerine birds with short stout bills. They nest in holes , and lay white speckled eggs .
Physical Description
Adult : Head : tufted dark gray Bill: black Curvature: straight Body: Flanks: rusty Sides: rusty Underparts: whitish gray Upperparts: medium gray Legs : Foot Color: gray-black Leg Color: gray-black Tail: gray.
Color:
Light gray overall, with a gray crest , head , back, wings, and tail. White breast and belly. A rust-colored band extends from below the wings to just in front of the tail. The region above the bill is black.
Size/Age/Growth
About 6.5 inches long, with a wingspan of 10.75 to 10.75 inches. Adults weigh about 0.8 ounces .
Habitat
Ecology:
List of Habitats
:1.4Forest - Temperate
Biology
Diet
During the non-breeding season
, the Tufted
Titmouse spends most of its time foraging
. Moving along the trunk
and branches of trees
, it searches leaves and bark
crevices for insects such as caterpillars, beetles, ants
, wasps, and bees, and for spiders and their egg
cases. Titmice are often seen picking through suspended clusters
of dead leaves. The birds also eat fruit, nuts and various seeds. In the fall
and winter they cache
hundreds
of seeds in crevices in trees. These stored seeds provide a good food source when retrieved during the cold winter. Titmouse habitat
includes deciduous woodlands, parklands, and suburban areas. This species is often seen at backyard feeders
. It is common for the Titmouse to forage
in mixed species flocks
with Chickadees, Nuthatches, and small woodpeckers.
Mostly: Insects
Lesser Quantities of: Nuts Seeds Fruit
Reproduction
Breeding season lasts from early April to early July. The female builds her nest in a natural tree cavity or in a hole excavated by woodpeckers. The nest is often lined with moss, leaves, grass , fur, and snake skin . Many different types of trees are used, including elms, maples, pines, oaks, and beech trees. Nest height averages 10 m (35 ft ) above ground . Titmice will also nest in boxes. The female lays 3 - 9 creamy white eggs with brownish-purple spots, which she incubates for 13 days. Nestlings are altricial and do not open their eyes until they are 4 days old. Both parents feed the nestlings. The young leave the nest after 15-16 days, by which time they are fully feathered and look like the adults .
- Breeding Habitat : Woodland
- Nest Location: Mid-story/canopy nesting
- Nest Type: Cavity
- Clutch Size: 4-8
- Length of Incubation : 13-14 days
- Days to Fledge : 15-18
- Number of Broods: 1, 2 in south
Migration
Nonmigratory
Behavior
Predators include hawks, owls, snakes , and cats.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
)
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
)
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
)
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
)
- (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
)
- Bateson, 1885
- Chordates
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
)
- Cuvier, 1812
- Vertebrates
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
)
- Auct.
- Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
)
- Goodrich, 1930
- Class:
Aves
(
)
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Birds
- Subclass:
Neornithes
(
)
- Gadow, 1893
- Infraclass:
Neoaves
(
)
- Superorder:
Passerimorphae
(
)
- Order:
Passeriformes
(
)
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Perching Birds
- Suborder:
Passeri
(
)
- Parvorder:
Passerida
(
)
- Superfamily:
Sylvioidea
(
)
- Family:
Paridae
(
)
- Chickadees, Titmice
- Genus:
Baeolophus
(
)
- Specific name:
bicolor
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Scientific name: - Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Specific name:
bicolor
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Genus:
Baeolophus
(
- Family:
Paridae
(
- Superfamily:
Sylvioidea
(
- Parvorder:
Passerida
(
- Suborder:
Passeri
(
- Order:
Passeriformes
(
- Superorder:
Passerimorphae
(
- Infraclass:
Neoaves
(
- Subclass:
Neornithes
(
- Class:
Aves
(
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus) 1766
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 19-Oct-2004
Similar Species
Phainopepla
Members of the genus Baeolophus
There are approximately 18 species in this genus:
B. atricristatus (Black-Crested Titmouse) · B. atricristatus sennetti · B. bicolor (Tufted Titmouse) · B. bicolor atricristatus · B. inornatus (Oak Titmouse) · B. inornatus affabilis · B. inornatus cineraceus · B. inornatus inornatus · B. inornatus murinus · B. inornatus transpositus · B. ridgwayi (Juniper Titmouse) · B. ridgwayi ridgwayi · B. ridgwayi zaleptus · B. wollweberi (Bridled Titmouse) · B. wollweberi annexus · B. wollweberi phillipsi · B. wollweberi vandevenderi · B. wollweberi wollweberi
Bibliography
- Bird Reference Citations. The numbers inserted in the text accounts above (usually in bold) refer to references. For further details on these references, click on the BirdLife International link above to go to the specific species account on the BirdLife web site. In some cases, particularly in the taxonomic notes, the references are cited using the author names. Details for these can be found on the BirdLife International web site at the following two places: For References from A–L. For References from M–Z.
- BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K.
- BirdLife International. 2004 Threatened Birds of the World 2004. CD-ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Notes
Contributors
- BirdLife International 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed June 07, 2006. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 6 providers.
- Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
- Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
- Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
- Universal Biological Indexer and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3848407
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-554138
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13831807
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 554138
- IUCN ID: 52119
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABPAW01110
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 906
