One Shade of Gray

This post is about a species of bird which have been a resident of my backyard for the past 5 or 6 years.

The Tufted Titmouse is a small songbird from North America, a species in the tit and chickadee family (Paridae).

These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face, a grey crest, a dark forehead and a short stout bill; they have rust-colored flanks.

They live in deciduous and mixed woods as well as gardens, parks and shrubland in the eastern United States; they barely range into southeastern Canada in the Great Lakes region. They are all-year residents in the area effectively circumscribed by the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The range is expanding northwards, possibly due to increased availability of winter food at bird feeders.

They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use. They shy when seen at bird feeders; their normal pattern there is to scout the feeder from the cover of trees or bushes, fly to the feeder, take a seed, and fly back to cover to eat it.

Tufted titmice nest in a hole in a tree, either a natural cavity, a man-made nest box, or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. The pair may remain together and defend their territory year-round. These birds are permanent residents and often join small mixed flocks in winter.

I like these birds because they stay out of trouble and I’ve never seen them involved in any fights. They are nice birds to have in any backyard!

Photo Gallery

Tags: birds, nature, photography, photos of birds, Tufted Titmouse

26 thoughts on “One Shade of Gray”

Dina on April 21, 2015 at 9:46 am said:

Lucky you to have such a precious visitor in garden! 🙂
The Tufted Titmouse (TTT) looks just wonderful, what a joy to be surrounded be all those lovely songbirds.

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 9:53 am said:
  
  You’re right Dina, it’s a joy! Thank you! 🙂
  
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thetransmutationalgardener on April 21, 2015 at 10:43 am said:

I’d love to have these in my yard! Very pretty birds.

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 11:44 am said:
  
  Thank you very much! 🙂
  
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Jet Eliot on April 21, 2015 at 11:10 am said:

They are lovely to have in your backyard, I agree HJ. Thanks for sharing these delightful photos. We have the oak titmouse where I live, who are also a delight, but they are less colorful than your tufted. 😀

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 11:45 am said:
  
  Thank you Jet! 🙂
  
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Poetsmith on April 21, 2015 at 1:18 pm said:

Lovely little friends you have! Must be good company and brightens up the day. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us! 🙂

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 2:24 pm said:
  
  Thank you Iris, my pleasure! 🙂
  
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Lisa Rest on April 21, 2015 at 2:12 pm said:

Lovely pictures! How fortunate you are to have this elusive (for me) species in your yard. I think they like warmer weather, actually. 🙂

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 2:28 pm said:
  
  Thank you Lisa! That’s how life always is… 🙂
  
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susanpoozan on April 21, 2015 at 4:05 pm said:

So interesting to read about the bird and then look at all your excellent pictures, thank you.

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 4:11 pm said:
  
  Thank you Susan! 🙂
  
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cindy knoke on April 21, 2015 at 6:14 pm said:

perfection~

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 6:28 pm said:
  
  Thank you Cindy! You’re very kind! 🙂
  
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Christy Birmingham on April 21, 2015 at 6:21 pm said:

Clever title and great photos!

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 6:30 pm said:
  
  Thank you Christy! 🙂
  
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tootlepedal on April 21, 2015 at 7:48 pm said:

Another fine set of portraits.

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- avian101 on April 21, 2015 at 7:56 pm said:
  
  Thank you Tom! 🙂
  
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jmgoyder on April 22, 2015 at 5:45 am said:

What a gorgeous bird!

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- avian101 on April 22, 2015 at 10:30 am said:
  
  Thank you Julie! 🙂
  
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Tiny on April 22, 2015 at 10:32 am said:

Absolutely lovely! I see shades of grey, blue and orange 😀

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- avian101 on April 22, 2015 at 10:46 am said:
  
  Thank you Tiny! I’m just having fun! 🙂
  
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45DegreesNorth on April 22, 2015 at 7:28 pm said:

That are such sweet birds. I just love them! Your photos portray them perfectly!

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- avian101 on April 22, 2015 at 7:38 pm said:
  
  Thank you Amy! 🙂
  
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bkpyett on April 25, 2015 at 9:22 pm said:

Again perfection HJ!

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- avian101 on April 25, 2015 at 10:07 pm said:
  
  Thank you Barbara! You’re very kind! 🙂
  
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