Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmice are small gray birds with a distinctive crest and large black eyes. They are curious and energetic and often travel in small flocks with chickadees and nuthatches.

At feeders they enjoy sunflower seeds and peanuts and are known for grabbing a seed and flying away to crack it open nearby. They quickly become regular visitors when food is consistently available.

Recommended Chirp & Maple foods

Best Foods for Tufted Titmouse

The right food depends on how this bird naturally feeds. Start with the core recommendations below, then build out your backyard setup with supporting and seasonal options.

How to Attract This Bird

Favourite foods

Tufted Titmice are bold, curious birds that love sunflower chips, peanuts, and premium nut blends. They have a charming habit of grabbing a single seed, flying to a nearby branch, holding it with their feet, and hammering it open. They cache extra seeds in bark crevices for later, so they'll visit your feeder dozens of times a day.

Best Feeder Types

A tube feeder filled with sunflower chips or a peanut feeder works perfectly for Tufted Titmice. They're agile enough for hanging feeders and bold enough to visit even when larger birds are present. Position your feeder near mature deciduous trees where they can retreat to crack open seeds. They'll also readily visit suet cages in cooler months.

Backyard Habitat Tips

Titmice are cavity nesters that rely on old woodpecker holes or natural tree cavities. Keeping dead trees (snags) standing safely in your yard is the single best habitat move — they provide both nesting sites and bark crevices where titmice cache seeds. Hanging a nest box with a 3.2cm (1¼-inch) entrance hole gives them an alternative if natural cavities are scarce. Mature deciduous trees, especially oaks and maples, provide the acorns and seeds they forage for naturally.

A calm and observant visitor, often seen grabbing seeds and flying off.

Seen this bird at your feeder?

If you’ve spotted one, log your sighting and add it to your Backyard Bird List.

See what other birders are spotting — and start tracking what visits your feeder.

Log This Sighting

Backyard Feeding Questions

A few simple answers to help you create a more active, bird-friendly backyard.

Build a Backyard They Return To

Start with the right food, keep feeding consistent, and create a space birds feel safe returning to again and again.

Small changes in food, feeder choice, and consistency can make a big difference.

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