The Oak Titmouse - a trusty backyard bird in Sonoma County

December 20, 2006 on 9:37 pm | In Daily Local Birder |

Greetings!

The Northern Oriole has opulence, the Great Horned Owl, mystery, the Mockingbird is a musical genius, but the common Oak Titmouse has comfortable familiarity in his favor. This bright-eyed little fellow is a standby in Sonoma County gardens, orchards and forests, year-round. His dependable presence lets me know I’m home, and assures me that I’m keeping my garden bird-friendly.

At one time, this bird was grouped with other subspecies under the heading Plain Titmouse, but now birds living along the Pacific coastline have their own identity. I think Oak Titmouse is a fitting handle when I watch these birds moving briskly though the wonderful oak trees of our local meadows. However, since childhood I have had my own name for this small fowl. I call him Mousekin. This comes from a children’s book - Mousekin Finds a Friend by Edna Miller. The Mousekin series was a favorite of mine as a girl, with its light-handed watercolors featuring small tableaux from the natural world. In this particular book, a lonely mouse goes looking for companionship, and he comes face to face with a titmouse. I was so captivated by the visual similarity between the mouse and the bird, and that is how the Oak Titmouse got a special name in my personal birding lingo.

Further field notes on the Oak Titmouse
As my accompanying sketch shows, this bird has an overall, warm taupe hue, with hints of pale yellow and various greys. His peaked cap sets him apart from other garden birds. In point of fact, if you see a bird with a peaked cap in Sonoma County it is most likely an Oak Titmouse, a Cedar Waxwing, a Stellar’s Jay or a Pileated Woodpecker. And, because these birds are all extremely different from one another, this field mark of the raised head feathers should make identification easy even for a brand new birder.

He is a dimutive perching bird - some 5″-5 1/2″ from head to tail. Commonly, one observes pairs of Oak Titmice, but they do sometimes travel in larger flocks. His call is very special. You might reasonably think that it would be our local Chestnut-backed Chickadee who sings out chick-a-dee-dee, but it is, in fact the Oak Titmouse who vocalizes thus. I like to think he is looking for his smaller, chubbier friends, asking for them by name. The sound is quite audible for so small a bird, and has a certain buzziness or raspiness to it. I consider this a conspicuous bird in the garden, particularly for his constant chatter.

Berries are a preferred food, and my Mousekin birds absolutely love the sunflower seeds I put out in my birdfeeders. Oak Titmice build nests of grasses and soft matter in crevices, tree cavities or holes in fences or buildings. They lay 5-8 white eggs with brown speckles.

Where to see the Oak Titmouse in Sonoma County, California
Nearly any garden with a bit of green growth will be a good place to look for these birds. You will often observe them in evergreen trees, too, frequently in the company of chickadees. Suburban parks and creekside trails would be smart habitats to investigate if you are aiming to add the Oak Titmouse to your lifelist. They are not overly shy, and you should have plenty of opportunity to observe their highly active ways. Remember to listen for the chick-a-dee-dee call and you are sure to hone quickly in on this smart little backyard bird.