The Tufted Titmouse
By: Jerry Poindexter
Photo by Kevin McCarthy
The tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor) is the largest North American titmouse, measuring between 5½ to 6 inches in length. It is the eastern counterpart to the Western plain titmouse and is described as plain gray, although it can vary in color slightly from area to area. The tufted titmouse has a large head with a crest that the bird can raise or lower. It has a stout black bill and a black patch on the forehead.
The measurements for the pattern and painting notes are taken from various study skins provided by the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.