Songs
Bushtits are active birds that use lots of contact calls, but they don’t really have a song. Occasionally, several individuals gathered together make a long, drawn-out series of quiet twitters and chips.
Calls
Bushtits make several kinds of short, high, wispy contact calls or chip notes. These help group members know where flockmates are. They can intensify to indicate nesting activities or when mobbing predators or confronting opponents. Individuals that get separated from a group make a rapid series of high-pitched chip notes that carries well.
Backyard Tips
Bushtits eat mostly small insects, so they are hard to attract to feeders. You can help make your yard inviting to them by planting native shrubs and small trees.
Find This Bird
Bushtits are inconspicuous but common. Look for them moving through low branches of open woodlands, edges, and park or neighborhood vegetation, where they are active and acrobatic as they search for insects. Listen for their quiet but consistent call notes.