Getting To Know a Tufted Titmouse

For about 2 years now I've had an ongoing and sometimes adversarial interaction with a particular Tufted Titmouse who lives at the forest edge just behind my house. Elsewhere, 1st in Garden Foes and more recently in Wildlife Forum, I've been running a series of [at present] 2 threads regarding the incredible and often outragious behavior of this most unusual bird. Recently, someone suggested that I should place a link in this Forum in case some of you might be interested in the events and antics of this very unique bird.

First a warning, the unusual and sometimes outlandish behavior of this bird have resulted at time in much merriment, and at times people in the threads have made light hearted comments about harming the bird. But it was all meant entirely in jest. In fact, the bird is very much alive and well and still up to his hi-jinks. Also, if you are interested in Tufted Titmouse behavior, note that all joking aside, the events depicted in the linked thread are all completely accurate.

Here then is a link to a photo from the most recent thread in the story of Mr T the Tufted Titmouse: http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3368926
A link to the prior thread [the beginning of the story] can be found on the 1st post of the thread.

Below is a photo of my little frient Mr T the Tufted Titmouse and "me".

Edited to add link to [top of] thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/695711/#post_3368926
and to add synopsis of events:
This little bird started out by trying to disassemble my house, a sun up to sundown task in which he destroyed 4 window screens by cutting around the edges with his beak like a can opener and pecking endlessly on siding and windows. Then he started dive bombing me when he saw me in the garden. He would leap from a limb or other perch and fly at my head. Eventually, he started landing on my head and later on my shoulder and even my pants leg.

Lastly, I'd like to reiterate that no one has done anything to harm the bird. I only made the above warning because I know how important it is to those in this Forum that there be no talk of violence, etc against birds. Because of his often annoying behavior, people enjoyed dreaming up ways to get rid of him, jokingly, unrealistic things like flame throwers. I just wanted to warn anyone who would be bothered by such talk. But it is also clear from the threads that the bird enjoys sanctuary in my cottage garden with unlimited food, water, etc.

This message was edited Apr 11, 2007 5:44 AM

Yeah!!! I was hoping you would bring this over here also scutler!

Thank you, pelletaroy!

I don't know what it is about the Tufted Titmouse but I really love it when he comes around.
Here's mine yesterday.

Can't wait to hear what Mr. T does next.

Awh, how cute! Aren't they just adorable. I have to admit that Mr T's antics have made them all the more loveable for me.

scutler, sounds like Mr. T. is in love with you!

Hi, garden_mermaid,

Awwwh ; )

Considering how often I stuff my pockets with treaks when I'm in the garden - just in case I see him, it might just be mutual.

Edited to add:

Mr T is my little garden buddy. He keeps me company in the garden.

BTW, Does anyone have any idea what kinds of things might make sp ecial treats for a Tufted Titmouse? He already had an unlimited supply of black oil sunflower seeds, so it needs to be something other than that. I've been taking out peanuts, 12 whole grain bread, tiny kibble (small breed dog), and sometimes almonds. Don't know if he likes any of those. So far I've not had them with me the times he came to me.

This message was edited Apr 12, 2007 8:06 AM

In that first pic, looks like he's after material to line his/her nest with ;-)

Resin

Hi Resin,

Yes, that is what he's up to. (While he works up there, his wife sits in a nearby tree and yells directions.)

In early spring when I was out taking photos of my daffodils one day, he started dive bombing me, launching himself from low branches on small trees in my backyard cottage garden and flying at my head. He would flutter about above and behind my head. At that time I didn't know why he was "attacking" me. That's what the other thread is mostly about. He kept doing that every time he saw me in the garden sitting still. Then I read that they often steal hair from dogs, raccoons, and even people, so I figured that was his intent.

Finally, one day he landed on my head and started trying to pluck hair. It tickled and made me laugh. He wasn't very good at it at 1st. He was up there for quite a while. When he left he had a little wad of hair in his beak. I have very long hair so apparently he not only picked it but also rolled it up in a ball so it wouldn't get caught in his wings when he flew. He landed on my head again about a week later. That's when I took the photo. By that time he had gotten considerably better at hair plucking. He also hopped on my shoulder and preened my shirt, apparently for stray hairs. Then he hopped down on the back of my leg to do some more preening on my pants leg just below the knee.

I guess eventually I'll have to worry about hair loss but for now I just think he's so darned cute, I'm willing to part with a bit of hair.

Best supply a special pile of short hair for him - long hair can tangle round the chicks' legs and snare them. Anything shorter than 5-10cm should be OK.

Resin

uh oh, oops! My hair is almost to the waist. He seems oddly attracted to it. The 1st day that he actually landed on my head was when I was outside in the garden with it down for a change. I've put dog hair (I have a maltese) and dryer lint out for them. T doesn't seem to like either of those. I saw a carolina chickadee out there combing the dog hair into just the perfect form for her nest.

I guess I could try taking the hair from my brush and cutting it into smaller pieces. I wouldn't want to harm the babies. That sounds awful. Thanks for telling me. Glad I did post a link over here. : )

One other thing scutler; sorry but dryer lint is not any good for the nest.

Yep, 'fraid that's right too; dryer lint wads down into a nasty gooey mess if it gets damp.

Dog hair is ideal. I've seen a pile where someone had combed out their German Shepherd in the local park, the pile was huge . . . but all gone within a day and a half.

Resin

pelletory and Resin,

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. I don't want to offer them anything that would be harmful to them, so glad you guys corrected me on that. I didn't have any takers on that dryer lint anyhow. It took a few days to find a "home" for my dog's hair, but I've read that sometimes color matters. My dog is white which may not be the best color if camo. matters.

How about yarn, string, those kinds of things? I've not offered any yet, but have read that it's good. Then on a recent program on Science channel they said it may lack the proper insulating qualities.

I have several compost piles. The food trimmings so in a closed container, but I have an open wire container in which I put leaves, twigs, straw, etc. Quite by accident, I found that the birds in my yard see that open wire cage full of plant material as an excellent resource for nest building.

Hi Scutler,

Colour/camouflage does matter for some birds, but not for Titmice, which are hole-nesters . . . it's black in there, whatever the colour!

String - OK if it's snipped into short pieces, and the more it is unravelled the better, too (improves its insulation capacity by dividing it finely). NOT plastic string, though, just natural fibre string.

Other good stuff:
Fine hay, or dried grass clippings.
Moss - if you've got moss in the lawn, rake it out, dry it out, and put it out.
Lichen - ditto. Though it is probably easier for the birds to find and collect their own.
Spiders' webs, of the cobwebby type*. Also easier for birds to collect their own!! Excellent for binding nests together, though only some birds (e.g. Bushtits) use them.

* Spiders divide into two groups, those whose webs have sticky glue-like substances on (which birds don't use), and those whose webs are "velcro-sticky" (which birds do use).

Resin

Ha Mr. T, great nomenclature, that made my day! We have a family of titmice who nested in a birdhouse about ten feet from the window I am looking out at the grayness and rain right now, last year I was milling about and saw one of the fledglings stick his head out of the hole, I called to him and to my surprise he flew out. A wobbly little flight but made it to the roof and soon to follow were a couple of his siblings. I love these guys and am constantly amused by their friendly behavior. Now if I can just get rid of the grackles, what bullies.
Cheers and have a lovely day!

Resin, Thanks for all of the info, esp about cutting the hair short. Just noticed today when I was out working in the garden that most my dog's hair is still out there where I left it - except for that little wad the chickadee took. His hair is oddly unpopular. Maybe I need to wash him or something. I'm surprised because Maltese have very soft, fluffy hair which to me would seem preferrable to mine, except maybe it mats down more when wet, like the dryer lint.

And, Resin, I know this is a little off topic, but while you are here I'd like to thank you for all of the tree ID's last summer. For some reason I became curious to get to know the trees along the forest edge adjoining my property. Somehow getting their names has made them so much more real and individual to me. Now they aren't just "the forest". I never paid them much attention before that. Since then I've taken numerous photos esp of the black cherry and the beech.

Hi abbyday, what a lovely visual. I feel as though I can actually see those baby birds! Actually someone else - maybe Gerris, not sure - named him Mr T in the 1st thread back when he was destroying all of the screen on the back of my house. That's when Mr T and I 1st became acquainted. Anyhow, I think the name fit both because of his type and his behavior; so it stuck.

Here is the 1st picture from that thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1792242
It's Mr T sitting on a branch about 10" from the window and just glaring at me inside the house taking his photo with my camera right up against the window. The photo was taken through a window and a screen. He was quite determined to destroy those screens back then.

I was just mentioning the large American Beech tree on the forest line behind my house. I've seen Mr and Mrs T back there in that tree a lot. I'm thinking his nest may be in that tree. Saturday afternoon it looked like he might have been eating the beechnuts. Recently, I read that they are very attracted to beech so I guess that may be one reason he's in my yard so much - makes me even more fond of that beech tree.

I love the tufted titmice that live around my house. Something about them is so friendly and endearing. We have an abundance of these little birds. Funny thing is, I was looking at bird books at the book store this past weekend and read a page about tufted tits and it said in the book that they've been known to land on people's heads and pluck hair out! Then I read your thread... I guess that's confirmation. I think that would freak me out a bit! And I've had birds land on my head, although not wild birds. My mom has had various birds as pets over the years and many of them have used my head as a landing spot. I never really appreciated that. You are kind to let your Mr. T do that.