Tufted Titmouse
(Baeolophus bicolor)

Overview

Summary

© Paul Pratt
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The Tufted Titmouse is a rare species in Canada whose populations are restricted primarily to southern Ontario's Carolinian forests and, more recently, southern Quebec. First reported in Canada in 1914, the Tufted Titmouse has spread slowly since then (Currie 1987). The species is best monitored by the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, which indicates a range expansion (Read 2007) and a large increase in detections between the two Atlas periods (1980-1985 and 2000-2005). This reflects perhaps the largest period of increase to date.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)
• Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (2001-2005): Breeding evidence

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

Because Canada hosts a very small but increasing portion of the North American Tufted Titmouse population, there is little conservation concern for this species. Its increasing numbers and northward expansion are likely the result of climate warming and increased bird feeding (Grubb and Pravasudov 1994). The recent increase in southeastern Canada is likely due to immigration from the expanding populations in adjacent New York and Michigan (Read 2007).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Currie, H.G. 1987. Tufted Titmouse. pp. 296-297 in: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier, Eds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, Ontario.
• Grubb, Jr. T.C. and V.V. Pravasudov. 1994. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Grubb, Jr. T.C. and V.V. Pravasudov. 1994. Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Patten, M.A. and B.D. Smith-Patten. 2008. Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Patten, M.A. and B.D. Smith-Patten. 2008. Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Read, P. 2007. Tufted Titmouse. pp. 404-405 in: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier, Eds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, Ontario.
• Sauer, J.R., J.E. Hines, J.E. Fallon, K.L. Pardieck, D.J. Ziolkowski, Jr., and W.A. Link. 2014. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2012. Version 02.19.2014 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. Sauer, J.R., J.E. Hines, J.E. Fallon, K.L. Pardieck, D.J. Ziolkowski, Jr., and W.A. Link. 2014. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2012. Version 02.19.2014 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. (Link)