The Tufted Titmouse, as the name suggests, are a small bird with gray-capped head and big black eyes. Setting these features against a nearly white face and underbelly make this little bird remind some of us of a certain bearded wizard. You will often find Titmice with Chickadees, but they are slightly larger and stand out easy enough. They are the most common of the five varieties of Titmice found in the United States, but are primarily found in the Eastern states.
Fairly easy to attract to bird feeders, these little birds are so much fun to watch make their unique fall into your feeders. They will then seek out large seeds to flit away to their preferred perch and crack open with a whack or two from their bills.
Titmouse feeder preferences
Tufted Titmice will eat seeds, berries, nuts and acorns. However, they prefer insects if they can be found. They will nearly always choose the largest seed available in any situation, despite their small size. Use one of these feeders to put out treats for these enchanting wild birds:
- Tube Feeders – Use a hanging tube feeder to serve up black oil sunflower seed during cold winter months. You’ll love watching the little grey birds flit from feeder to tree branch with their prize.
- Tray Feeders – An inexpensive and high-protein source of winter food for birds of all types, a simple pole mounted or hung platform feeder filled with unshelled peanuts is a great choice.
- Hopper Feeder – If you’re planning to serve shelled peanuts or sunflower seeds during cold and wet winter months a hopper feeder could be your best choice. Many different birds will enjoy using your hopper feeder while it’s cold.
- Mealworm feeder – Mealworms or any other insects are the preferred meal for the Titmouse. This is one of the more expensive types of bird food, but is well worth the effort during cold winter months.
Long term ideas for the garden
The Tufted Titmouse loves nut-bearing trees and will happily spend a lot of time anywhere there are oak trees. Consider planting oak trees, if your space allows. If not, berry-producing plants and bushes are a great choice too.
Many a backyard bird watcher started her journey with the birds because of the enchanting grey Titmice. Choose a feeder like mentioned above for the winter and plant a berry bush or two in the spring. You’ll have non-migratory grey birds flitting around your feeders in no time!
