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Home/Species/ Tufted Titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Tufted Titmouse

G5Secure Found in 64 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101297
Element CodeABPAW01110
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyParidae
GenusBaeolophus
Other Common Names
Mésange bicolore (FR) tufted titmouse (EN)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly in genus parus; transferred to baeolophus by AOU (1997). Formerly considered conspecific with B. atricristatus (Black-crested Titmouse; AOU 1998), but recognized as a separate species by Banks et al. (2002). These two taxa hybridize freely in a stable, narrow zone through east-central Texas (Dixon 1955, 1989, 1990), but they are distinct genetically (Braun et al. 1984, Avise and Zink 1988, Sheldon et al. 1992) and vocally (Dixon 1955, Coldren 1992). Sibley and Monroe (1990) treated bicolor and atricristatus as separate species. Gill and Slikas (1992) characterized bicolor and atricristatus as hybridizing semispecies. See Sheldon et al. (1992) for DNA-DNA hybridization evidence of phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of parus.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-06
Change Date1996-12-02
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
Resident from northeastern Nebraska east across southern Great Lakes region to southern New England, south to eastern Texas, Gulf Coast, and southern Florida; and west to central Kansas and west-central Oklahoma (AOU 1998, Banks et al. 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Forest, woodland, scrub, and partly open situations with scattered trees, from deciduous and mixed woodland in the northeast to oak-juniper scrub, mesquite, and riparian woodland in the southwest; also wooded parks and residential areas (AOU 1998). Nests in natural cavity in tree, or in old woodpecker hole, or in artificial cavity such as pipe, bird box, 1-27 m above ground (Harrison 1978).

Reproduction

Clutch size is 5-8 (commonly 5-6). Sometimes 2 broods per year. Incubation, by female, lasts 12-14 days. Young are tended by both parents (and sometimes young of first brood), leave nest at 15-18 days.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSuburban/orchard
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS4Yes
OntarioS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
KansasS5Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
WisconsinS4BYes
MichiganS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5BYes
OhioS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
TennesseeS5Yes
South DakotaSUBYes
AlabamaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
West VirginiaS5B,S5NYes
New YorkS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
New JerseyS5B,S5NYes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
MarylandS5Yes
Rhode IslandS5BYes
TexasS5BYes
MaineS4Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
New HampshireS5Yes
IowaS4BYes
NebraskaS4Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
Roadless Areas (64)
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Florida (2)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Farles PrairieOcala National Forest1,901
Georgia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
New Hampshire (3)
AreaForestAcres
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
North Carolina (14)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Tennessee (7)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (22)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Crawford MountainGeorge Washington National Forest9,892
Garden MountainJefferson National Forest3,960
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
References (21)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. Avise, J. C., and R. M. Zink. 1988. Molecular genetic divergence between avian sibling species: king and clapper rails, long-billed and short-billed dowitchers, boat-tailed and great-tailed grackles, and tufted and black-crested titmice. Auk 105:516-528.
  4. Balda, R. P., and G. C. Bateman. 1971. Flocking and annual cycle of the piñon jay, <i>Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus</i>. Condor 73:287-302.
  5. Bent, A.C. 1946. Life histories of North American jays, crows, and titmice. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 191. Washington, D.C.
  6. Braun, D., G. B. Kitto, and M. J. Braun. 1984. Molecular population genetics of tufted and black-crested forms of PARUS BICOLOR. Auk 101:170-173.
  7. Dixon, K. L. 1990. Constancy of margins of the hybrid zone in titmice of the PARUS BICOLOR complex in coastal Texas. Auk 107:184-188.
  8. Gill, F. B., and B. Slikas. 1992. Patterns of mitochondrial DNA divergence in North American crested titmice. Condor 94:20-28.
  9. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  10. Harrison, H. H. 1979. A field guide to western birds' nests. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 279 pp.
  11. Horn, H. S. 1968. The adaptive significance of colonial nesting in the Brewer's Blackbird. Ecology 49:682-694.
  12. Ligon, J. D. 1971. Late summer-autumnal breeding of the piñon jay in New Mexico. Condor 73:147-153.
  13. Mitchell, W. A. 1988. Songbird nest boxes. Section 5.1.8, US Army Corps of Engineers Wildlife Resources Management Manual. Tech. Rep. EL-88-19. Waterways Expt. Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi. 48 pp.
  14. Moore, W. S., and R. A. Dolbeer. 1989. The use of banding recovery data to estimate dispersal rates and gene flow in avian species: case studies in the Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. Condor 91:242-253.
  15. Sheldon, F. H., et al. 1992. DNA-DNA hybridization evidence of phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of PARUS. Auk 109:173-185.
  16. Sibley, C.G., and B.L. Monroe, Jr. 1990. Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. xxiv + 1111 pp.
  17. Tarvin, K. A., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1999. Blue Jay (<i>Cyanocitta cristata</i>). No. 469 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32pp.
  18. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  19. Thompson, F. R., III. 1994. Temporal and spatial patterns of breeding brown-headed cowbirds in the midwestern United States. Auk 111:979-990.
  20. Williams, L. 1952b. Breeding behavior of the Brewer blackbird. Condor 54:3-47.
  21. Willson, M. F. 1966. Breeding ecology of the Yellow-headed Blackbird. Ecological Monographs 36:51-77.