Episode 84: Tufted Titmouse – Voice of the Wild

Episode Number
84
Date Published
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Episode Show Notes / Description
Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor). 

The plain little backyard bird with high, sweet songs. 

Do you want to learn more bird songs, frog calls, and insect noises? Join Voice of the Wild every Friday to explore a new wild voice. We’re available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. 
The following Cornell Lab | Macaulay Library recordings were used in this episode: 
  • Tufted titmouse song 1 by Wil Hershberger (ML508222) 
  • Tufted titmouse song 2 by Robert C. Stein (ML508232) 
  • Tufted titmouse song 3 by Dolly Minis (ML508234) 
  • Tufted titmouse song 4 by Benjamin Clock (ML508238) 
  • Tufted titmouse scold by Wil Hershberger (ML508248) 
  • Tufted titmouse call by Randolph Little (ML508247) 
Sources and more: 
  • https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse 
  • https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/tufted-titmouse 
  • Dobson, C., Kassenbaum, D., Oehmke, D., & Misewicz, M. (2023). Field guide to hotspots and birds in Illinois. Scissortail LLC. 
  • Godfrey, M. A., & Kaufman, Kenn. (Directors). (2004). National Audubon Society videoguide to the birds of North America [Video recording]. In Audubon videoguide to 505 birds of North America DVD I & DVD II (Fullscreen.). Godfrey-Stadin Productions. 
  • Peterson, R. T., & Peterson, V. M. (1980). A field guide to the birds: A completely new guide to all the birds of eastern and central North America (Fourth edition, completely revised and enlarged.). Houghton Mifflin Company. 
  • Sibley, D. (2016). Sibley birds East: Field guide to birds of eastern North America (2nd ed.). Alfred A. Knopf. 
Transcript
This is Brodie with Illinois Extension and I’m here with a new “voice of the wild”

A mousey bird with a little crest and black eyes. THey’re a backyard favorite, coming to feeders to steal away a seed to a perch of their own choosing, or perhaps to hide that seed in a nook somewhere nearby. They’re a clean Bluegray above and white below, with just a touch of rust on the flanks beneath the wing. This is the tufted titmouse

The titmouse’s best known vocalization is their “peter peter peter” song but they also have substantial variations on that song and many little scolds and chickadee-like calls. On this second playthrough I’ll include some more of those song variations, each of which are united by repetition and their high sweet character.

Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab for today’s sound. Learn more about voice of the wild at go.illinois.edu/VOW