BUSHTITS

BUSHTITS

Written by Colin Bartlett

Have you ever looked out at your suet feeder and seen the feeder completely covered by birds that are not starlings? These little feathered friends are Bushtits and are a very social group in the winter. They travel around in flocks of up to 40 plus birds and have one goal and that is food. Typically they feed on insects and you will see them bouncing around in the shrubs and trees checking each nook and cranny. As a supplementary source of food Bushtits will feed on suet and even peanut halves and hulled sunflower chip. Being so social it is common to see ten or twelve Bushtits on the suet feeder at once and then they leave and the next group are in to feed. Once the flock has fed they are off as fast as they came in.

A common description when describing the Bushtits are, a flock of small grey birds without any markings that are always on the move, which is accurate for this bird. The Bushtit is about four (4) inches in size, a bit smaller than a chickadee. It has a long tail for it’s size and there are no distinguishable field marks. The Bushtit is grey with a bit of brownish colour cap with no other markings and has a tiny bill smaller than a chickadee.

As the Bushtits are always moving about they are also chattering to one another constantly calling a short tseep and tsip. Many times you will hear them high in the tops of trees but not see them.

When spring arrives the birds will pair up and become territorial for nesting. Their nest is a unique sack shape that hangs below a branch. They weave their nest from the top down with an entrance hole near the top. The length of the nest is about seven (7) to ten (10) inches long and takes approximately thirty days to construct. They use fine fibers, leaves, grass, and spider web to construct the nest and cover it with moss to help camouflage it. The inside of the nest is then lined with feathers, plant down and hair. The nests are not always well hidden and can be seen alongside trails and paths. Bushtits do get a bit nervous around nesting season and if disturbed while building the nest or incubating the eggs, they often abandon the nest and separate to find a new mate and start again.

Keep an eye on your trees, shrubs and your suet feeder for a visit by the Bushtits, as they are a great joy to watch with their burst of energy.

Good birding!