TITMICE 



215 



BUSH-TIT 

 Psaltriparus minimus minimus { J . K . l^oiiiiscmi ) 



A. ( 1. U. Xunibcr 743 



General Description. — Lenstli, 4' 4 iiicliev. Upper 

 parts, gray; under parts, lirnwiiisli-whitc. Hill, very 

 .small, deeper than broad; winy^. Iniv.; .uicl puiiitcd; 

 tail, longer than wing, mucli rounded, tlic featlier> 

 narrow but with the tips broad and rounded. 



Color. — Crown and hindneck, plain, warm lirown or 

 drab ; back, shoulders, lesser wing-coverts, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts, plain deep smoke gray; wings (ex- 

 cept lesser coverts) and tail, darker gray (dull slate 

 color) with pale gray edgings; sides of head similar in 

 color to crown but much paler and duller ; under parts, 

 dull brnwnish-white. deepening on sides and flanks into 

 pale, dull fcru-drab; iris, light yellow. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest ; Placed in low oaks, in 



hunch of mistletoe or mesiiuite from 5 to 20 feet up, a 

 long gourd-shaped structure, flarin.g at bottom, entrance 

 near top on side ; not strictly pensile, being fastened to 

 a number of twigs along sides; from eight to ten 

 inches long and four or five in diameter, the walls three 

 times as thick at bottom as at top, where about one- 

 half inch through; constructed exteriorly of dry sage 

 leaves, plant down, moss, lichens, and cobwebs, thickly 

 lined with smaller feathers. E<;gs : 4 to 6, pure white. 

 Distribution. — West slope of coast mountains in 

 Oregon, California, and northern Lower California, 

 north to the Columbia River, soutli to Nachoguero 

 valley. Lower California (also to San Pedro Alartir 

 Mountains, and San Fernando?). 



(Jne can hardly help falling in I(i\c with the 

 Bush-Tit. He is such a tiny bird, not larger than 

 your thumb. He goes along in such a bustling, 

 business-like way. He is quite fearless. One 

 can make friends with the Bush-Tit as easily as 

 with his cousin, the Chickadee. Any one who 

 has studied bird character would know tli;it the 

 two are related even if he did not know that 

 both are members of the Titmousi' family. 



The Bush-Tit builds a real bird mansion, a 



long, gourd-shaped home from eight to ten 

 inches or even longer, with a round entrance at 

 the upper end. I once watched a pair of these 

 birds lay the foundation for a typical long jiocket- 

 ne.st. I say " lay the foundation," but really the 

 Bush-Tit does not follow our ideas of archi- 

 tecture, for he builds from the top down. This 

 pair began making a roof to the home, then a 

 round doorway, and next they began weaving 

 the walls of moss, fibers, and lichens. From the 



/ 



y 



Dr,lning hy R. I. Brasher 



BDSH-TIT (nat. size) 

 -4 fearless little mite, no bigger than your thumb 



