Bridled Titmouse Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A small songbird with a short, pointy crest, a short, stubby bill, a moderately long tail, and rounded wings.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, smaller than a Western Bluebird.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
• Color Pattern

  An ashy gray bird with a boldly striped black-on-white face made up of a sweeping black line on the crest, a line through the eye and bordering the cheek, and black patches on the nape and throat.

• Behavior

  Moves rapidly through middle levels of taller trees, investigating leaves and needles for hidden insects, often hanging upside-down to probe or reach. Usually found in small foraging groups that include family members as well as other woodland bird specie.

• Habitat

  Resident in oak, pine-oak, and riparian woodlands at higher elevations (typically above 5,000 feet).