Local Report: Tufted Titmouse
One of the more energetic birds that frequent my backyard is the Tufted Titmouse. This bird is a bit larger than the Chickadee but smaller than the Cardinal. 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. Both male and female look alike. They eat insects, berries or seeds. They are more 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. They collect seeds for later consumption too.
I’ve seen the Tufted Titmouse stay local and not migrate for several years.
Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101
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Last Week’s Visitors
Here’s a gallery of birds that visited my backyard during last week. Enjoy!
© HJ Ruiz – Avian101
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Show and Tail
Male House Finch
Male Northern Cardinal
© HJ Ruiz – Avian101
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Panoramic View of Birds
Male House Finch — Click to see enlargement —
© HJ Ruiz – Avian101
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ANSWER TO SUNDAY PHOTO QUIZ
Can you ID this bird?
ANSWER: Juvenile, male EASTERN TOWEE
The Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been under debate in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the spotted towhee were considered a single species, the rufous-sided towhee.
Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across eastern North America. They nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States. There has been one record of this species as a vagrant to western Europe; a single bird in Great Britain in 1966. Adults have rufous sides, a white belly and a long dark tail with white edges. The eyes are red, white for birds in the southeast. Males have a black head, upper body and tail; these parts are brown in the female. Juveniles are brown overall. Eastern towhees of all ages and both sexes are generally unmistakable.
Thank you very much for your participation to the quiz, your comments are also appreciated! – H.J.
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Read Past Reviews
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Quote from the Author
“A good chuckle is healthy, it helps you break the monotony of a serious life.” ~ H.J. Ruiz
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