Different Species of Titmouse Birds: Titmice, Common Birds of America

Titmice are small birds that are closely related to chickadees and other tits. Different species of titmouse birds can be found in various places in the United States.

Titmice are some of the most common backyard birds, particularly on the East Coast. Below are the different species of these birds that are found in the United States.

Tufted Titmouse (and Black-Crested Titmouse), the Most Widespread Tit in the United States

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is found throughout the eastern half of the United States. It is the largest of the different species of titmice in America, averaging about 6.5 inches in length. This bird has a blue-gray back, upper head, and tail, blue-gray wings, and a light underside with some orange coloration just below the wings. The black-crested form, which has an all-black crest is found in Texas and Mexico. The Black-crested Titmouse (Mexican Titmouse) has recently been considered a separate species from the Tufted, known as Baeolophus atricristatus, though the two were considered the same species for some time. The Tufted Titmouse is a common bird feeder bird in winter, and it may be heard whistling "peter, peter, peter, peter," or "sher, sher, sher, sher."

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Bridled Titmouse, the Southernmost Species of Bird of the Baeolophus Genus

The Bridled Titmouse (Baeolophus wollweberi) averages about 5.25 inches in length. It has a blue gray back, tail, and blue-gray wings, with slightly lighter undersides. On its face there is a series of black lines that give it a bridled appearance, making this small titmouse easily distinguishable from other species. The Bridled Titmouse is found in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and in much of Mexico. It can be heard whistling "pidi" over and over, or "je je je je je."

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Oak Titmouse, the Westernmost Species of Bird in the Baeolophus Genus

The Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) has an average length of around 5.75 inches. It is gray with a hint of brown on the backside, tail, and wings, and the same color but in a lighter shade underneath. This bird is only found from Southwestern Oregon down to Northern Baja California, and also in lower Baja California. The Oak Titmouse whistles a number of different calls, like "tewitewi." Neither this bird nor the Juniper Titmouse are necessarily found in oak or juniper forested areas.

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Juniper Titmouse, a Western Species of Bird

The Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi) is nearly identical to the Oak Titmouse in size and appearance. The only physical characteristic that separates the two is the Oak Titmouse's browner body. Though the Juniper Titmouse has some brown tinge on its overall gray body, it has less brown than does the Oak Titmouse.The two species also seldom overlap in range; the Juniper is commonly found in Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Eastern California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Northern Mexico (as well as the very southern parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming), whereas the Oak Titmouse is only found further west. The Juniper Titmouse can be heard calling "jijijiji."

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Titmice and chickadees are some of the most common backyards birds in America. Alaska and the Northwestern United States are the only places in the Continental US that they are not found.