Bird guide · Baeolophus bicolor
Tufted Titmouse
What the tufted titmouse eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 6 in (15 cm)
- Eats
- sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts
- Feeds
- tube, hopper, suet cage
- Most common
- Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas
Food
What do tufted titmouses eat?
At feeders, tufted titmouses take sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts.
Takes one seed per visit, flies to cover to eat it, and often caches seeds near the feeder.
Feeder that suits it
A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.
Range
Where do tufted titmouses live?
Eastern forests and suburbs, pushing steadily north. By share of all bird sightings, tufted titmouses are most common in Georgia (3.1%).
States where tufted titmouses are most common
- Georgia3.1%
- North Carolina3.0%
- Arkansas3.0%
- Tennessee3.0%
- West Virginia2.8%
- Kentucky2.8%
- New Hampshire2.7%
- South Carolina2.7%
- Connecticut2.7%
- Missouri2.7%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are tufted titmouses, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the tufted titmouse migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are tufted titmouses, by month.
Identification
How to identify the tufted titmouse
Adults: Grey and white with a perky crest, pale face, black forehead and rusty sides.
Size: 6 in (15 cm)
Easily confused with
- Black-crested Titmouse – black crest, white forehead; Texas
Nesting
Does the tufted titmouse use nest boxes?
Yes. Entrance hole 1 1/4 in (32 mm) per NestWatch.
On camera
Getting the tufted titmouse on a feeder camera
Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.
Questions
Tufted Titmouse: questions
What do tufted titmouses eat?
At feeders, sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts.
Do tufted titmouses migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Where do tufted titmouses live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho.