46 TUFTED TITMOUSE 



Tufted Titmouse: Parus hicolor. 



Length 6 inches. 



Upper parts ashy-gray; forehead black. 



Under parts whitish, sides rusty. 



A conspicuous crest. 



Resident (very common) all the year. 



There are three woodland birds which are fre- 

 quently together outside the nesting season — the 

 Tufted Titmouse, Chickadee, and Nuthatch. When 

 the clear, whistling peto of the Titmouse is heard it is 

 likely to be followed by the day-day-day of the Chick- 

 adee and the yank-yank of the Nuthatch. Downy 

 Woodpeckers are often in the same company, and 

 in winter Kinglets and Creepers join them and they 

 wander about, a merry flock, feeding in open or dense 

 woods as the weather or their fancy dictates. They 

 are generally led by the Tufted Tits and Chickadees, 

 who flit on ahead to " pastures new," constantly call- 

 ing the others to follow. All of these birds spend 

 much of their time creeping over the trunks and 

 branches of trees, searching for insects, larvae and 

 eggs. 



The Tufted Titmouse is recognized by his crest, 

 and as he is not shy it is easy to get near him, 

 although his restlessness tries one's patience. These 

 birds are abundant in the vicinity of Washington and 

 are occasionally found within the city limits. Warren 

 says they sometimes build in boxes about houses. 



The nest is usually in a tree or stump, either a 

 natural cavity or a Woodpecker's hole. This they 

 line luxuriously with moss, leaves and feathers. The 

 mother-bird has a pretty habit of adding to her house- 

 furnishings after the eggs are laid and she is sitting; 

 when she goes ofif for food she brings back a bit of 



