t was one of those damp, cold winter days when the cold crept through the layers of clothing I had on. I was miserable and my mind was thinking about a nice cup of tea and getting back indoors when I heard this really irritated bird call. It was as if I really ruined its entire day by walking along the small service road at the center.

I was hurrying past the feeders, but I guess not fast enough to satisfy this bird. I glanced up and this very “angry looking” bird was staring at me as if to say, “Beat it!”

The little gray bird staring at me with the nasally call was a tufted titmouse.

I am familiar with their call of peter-peter-peter and the call coming from this pint-sized bird was more like a mechanical zzzz-ree - zzzz-ree - zzzz-ree!

They are the first birds to sound a warning of a potential predator to other birds. I have to admire that tenacious spirit of a tiny bird not intimidated by me.

Sounding the alarm

Amazingly, there are 10 different known calls and probably some calls that are not known. The calls are classified as low frequency and high frequency.

The three calls in the group of high-frequency calls are usually associated with aggressive behavior.

Tufted titmice also communicate among themselves using body posture and movements. I must have irritated one of the birds in the more aggressive group!

What they lack in size they make up for in attitude, and that’s understandable because they are prey for many species including owls, hawks, cats, raccoons, snakes and even squirrels.

They are frequent visitors to feeders at the center with large black eyes, small, round bill and brushy crest.

Tufted titmice don’t sit for long as they make their way through the branches of shrubs and trees at the center to the feeders full of delicious treats. They prefer sunflower seeds but will eat suet, peanuts, and other seeds as well as insects.

When feeding at the center’s bird feeders, they prefer sunflower seeds, nuts, suet and dried mealworms.

One of our favorite supporters and friend of CCEEC sends us 5-pound bags of dried mealworms several times a year and everyone -birds and humans - are grateful for the generosity of this lady.

Hoarders

Tufted titmice hoard food in the winter and take advantage of our well-stocked feeders by storing many of the seeds they get.

Usually, they hide their goodies, going no more than 130 feet of the feeder. I am amazed as I watch them fly away with one seed and come back a minute later to repeat this process over and over again.

If I were a titmouse, I would just binge at the feeder! Studies have shown that they usually shell the seeds before hiding them. They hold the seeds with their feet while they hammer at the tough shells with that short beak.

According to one study, they always choose the largest sunflower seeds available to them and store them under the loose bark of trees as well as storing the seeds underground. I always marvel at the memory power of these small creatures.

Living quarters

Tufted titmice nest cavities in trees (and nest boxes), but they don’t make their own nest cavities. Instead, they use natural holes and cavities left by woodpeckers. Relying on “snags” for their homes is one reason why it’s important to allow dead trees to remain in forests rather than cutting them down.

Every year I watch for woodpeckers and other small cavity-nesters to move into the big holes in the dead pine trees.

The nest cavities are often lined with fur from raccoons, opossums, mice, woodchucks, squirrels, rabbits, livestock, pets and even humans! Feathers, grasses, mosses and lichen have been found in these cavities as well.

One of the more dangerous items in nest cavities has been monofilament fishing line. I always worry about those poor, unsuspecting parent birds who may be putting their young in danger.

Breeding occurs between March and May. The female lays between 5-8 brown-speckled eggs and incubates them for 13 to 17 days. Most breeding seasons there are two broods each season and the young of the first brood often help care for the nestlings of the second brood.

Interestingly, the males do not share any of the incubating duties. It is believed that the males bring food to the females while they incubate the eggs and when the eggs hatch, the males will also feed the growing family giving the females a much-needed break!

Bird brains, indeed!

Jeannie Carl is a naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill. The center rehabilitates injured animals and educates the public on a variety of wildlife found in the area. For information on the Carbon County Environmental Center, visit www.carboneec.org.