Bridled Titmouse
Encyclopedia
The Bridled Titmouse, Baeolophus wollweberi, is a small songbird
, a passerine
bird
in the tit
family Paridae.
These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face with black striping, a grey crest, a black throat, and a short stout bill
.
Their preferred habitat are oak or oak-juniper mixed woodland riparian areas of mountains in eastern and southeastern Arizona
-(the Mogollon Plateau
and White Mountains
of Arizona), and extreme southwestern New Mexico
-(the Madrean sky islands
region of the eastern Sonora Desert) in the United States
to southern Mexico
. They nest
in a hole in a tree
, either a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker
nest. They line the nest with soft materials.
These birds are permanent residents and may join small mixed flocks in winter.
They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use.
The song is usually described as a whistled pidi-pidi-pidi-pidi. They make a variety of different sounds, most having a similar tone quality.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
, a passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the tit
Titmouse
The tits, chickadees, and titmice constitute Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur in the northern hemisphere and Africa...
family Paridae.
These birds have grey upperparts and white underparts with a white face with black striping, a grey crest, a black throat, and a short stout bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
.
Their preferred habitat are oak or oak-juniper mixed woodland riparian areas of mountains in eastern and southeastern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
-(the Mogollon Plateau
Mogollon Plateau
The Mogollon Plateau or Mogollon Mesa is a pine-covered southern plateau section of the larger Colorado Plateau in east-central Arizona. The southern boundary of the plateau is the Mogollon Rim. The Mogollon Plateau is 2,135-2,440 meters high...
and White Mountains
White Mountains (Arizona)
The White Mountains of Arizona are a mountain range and mountainous region in the eastern part of the state, near the border with New Mexico; it is a continuation from the west of the Arizona transition zone–Mogollon Rim, with the Rim ending in western New Mexico...
of Arizona), and extreme southwestern New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
-(the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
region of the eastern Sonora Desert) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. They nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
in a hole in a tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, either a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
nest. They line the nest with soft materials.
These birds are permanent residents and may join small mixed flocks in winter.
They forage actively on branches, sometimes on the ground, mainly eating insects, especially caterpillars, but also seeds, nuts and berries. They will store food for later use.
The song is usually described as a whistled pidi-pidi-pidi-pidi. They make a variety of different sounds, most having a similar tone quality.
External links
- Bridled Titmouse photo eNature
- Bridled Titmouse photo; Article
- RangeMaps & synopsis InfoNatura NatureServe
- Bridled Titmouse photo gallery VIREO
- Bridled Titmouse Photos South Dakota Birds and Birding
