Bushtit

The Bushtit is one of the smallest songbirds in North America, a round-bodied, long-tailed ball of gray-brown fluff with a tiny stubby bill and dark eyes (pale iris in adult females, dark in males and juveniles). Plumage is subtly variable across its range, with some interior populations (formerly considered a separate species, the "Black-eared Bushtit") showing a dark ear patch on males. Despite its plain appearance, the Bushtit is beloved for its highly social behavior and its remarkable engineering feat: a long, hanging, sock-like nest woven from moss, spiderweb, and lichen.

Bushtits are almost never seen alone, moving through shrubs and trees in constantly chattering flocks that can number a dozen or more birds, foraging together with impressive coordination.

Key Field Marks

• Tiny, round-bodied, long-tailed songbird
• Plain gray-brown overall, with brownish cap in some populations
• Tiny stubby dark bill
• Pale eye in adult females; dark eye in males and juveniles
• Almost always seen in active, chattering flocks

Similar Species

• Bewick's Wren: has a longer, more prominent white eyebrow and a cocked tail edged in white, and a thinner, more decurved bill.
• Verdin: has a yellow face/throat (adults) and a sharper, more pointed bill, and is typically solitary rather than flocking.
• Kinglets: have wing bars and a colored crown patch, lacking the Bushtit's uniformly plain, long-tailed silhouette.

Habitat

Bushtits inhabit oak woodland, chaparral, riparian scrub, pinyon-juniper woodland, and suburban gardens with dense shrubbery, generally avoiding dense unbroken forest.

Range

The species ranges from the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain foothills through California, the Southwest, and Mexico into Guatemala.

Migration

Bushtits are largely non-migratory, remaining resident within their range year-round, though flocks may wander locally in search of food, especially in winter.

Behavior

Bushtits are intensely social, moving through vegetation in coordinated, constantly chattering flocks, foraging cooperatively and roosting huddled together for warmth on cold nights; some pairs even receive help from "helper" birds at the nest.

Voice

Calls are soft, high-pitched, contact notes — thin "tsit" or "pit" sounds given continuously by flock members to stay in contact; there is no loud, distinct song.

Feeding

Diet is dominated by small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with some seeds and berries taken as well; flocks forage acrobatically, often hanging upside down from twigs.

Nesting

The Bushtit's nest is one of its most remarkable features: an elaborately woven, hanging, sock- or gourd-shaped structure up to 30 cm (1 ft) long, built from moss, spiderweb, lichen, and plant down, with a small entrance hole near the top. Clutches typically number 5-7 eggs, and both parents, sometimes aided by helper birds, care for the young.