First…what’s up with the name? Well it’s pretty simple if you travel back several hundred years its the Anglo-Saxon origin.
Back then, “tit” was a synonym for “small” and “mouse” (or “mase”) was used to describe any small bird or tiny rodent. (Today, of course, it only applies to one tiny rodent.) So taken together “titmouse” simply means “small bird.”
But for those of us who love this energetic backyard visitor, that name seems less than fitting. Come summer, Tufted Titmice are prolific insect eaters, gobbling down caterpillars, wasps and – yes – stink bugs. In fall and winter, they switch to seeds – especially Black-Oil Sunflower seeds. In fact, when the weather gets cold, they become quite the connoisseurs, carefully selecting only the largest seeds before holding them between their feet and hammering them open with their beaks. During breeding season, Tufted Titmice nest in tree cavities abandoned by Pileated Woodpeckers or Northern Flickers. They’ll also take to nesting boxes. Tufted Titmice are famous (or infamous) for lining their nests with soft material, especially fur and hair, from dogs, cows, cats, groundhogs and humans – often taken while still being used by the owner! So if you want to attract Tufted Titmice this winter, keep your feeders filled with Black-Oil Sunflower seeds. And come breeding season, be sure to wear a hat outside!
