First Time In Fifteen Years!
For the last fifteen years that I’ve been feeding birds in my back yard I’ve gotten to enjoy so many different species. Most were the birds that are here year round. Others, like my most recent Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, are just passing through to one place or another. I’ve had nest boxes up for almost all that time and have had mostly Carolina chickadees and Eastern bluebirds as tenants. I’ve had Carolina Wrens make a nest in the crook of my old wooden fence one year. I also once had a House Wren make a nest in one of my smaller houses too. But for the most part, my nest boxes have been used by bluebirds and chickadees depending on who got there first. I have NEVER had a tufted titmouse make a nest anywhere I could see it even though I have plenty of them in my back yard all year.
That is, until this year.
Who’s That Checking Out the Bluebird Box?
A couple weeks ago, I was doing my daily mindfulness practice of just watching the birds in my back yard. You can learn so much about what’s going on by just being still and paying attention. I’ve seen all kinds of birds land on each of my boxes and look around a little before disappearing never to be seen there again.
This time it was a Tufted Titmouse. She landed on the box and did the usual looking around and flew off. Didn’t think anything of it.
Then, she was back and looking in the hole. Did that for about a minute and then was sticking her head IN the box. As curious as these little birds are I’ve never seen a tufted titmouse this interested in a nest box before. Before I knew it, she was darting half her body in and then just went on in. She spent a few seconds inside and stuck her head out. I’m assuming she was checking the view-LOL! A little bit later she flew off and that was all I saw of her that day.
Tufted Titmouse House Construction Begins. Sort Of.
Over the next few days, I was in heaven to see her (according to the guide, the female does ALL of the nest building) taking little bits and pieces of stuff into the nest. Because this was completely new to me, I was very careful not to check often and only after I’d seen her finish building that day. The guides I read said it would take between 6-11 days for her to finish. The guides also said that tufted titmice can abandon their eggs if they feel threatened. I tried to keep my “peeking” to an absolute minimum.
She kept at it, little by little, for the next week and then just stopped. Nothing was added for another week and I was sad that this may be just a false nest. I let some more time pass and still the nest was not touched. After my chickadees latest clutch had fledged I cleaned out both boxes. I was really glad I did because the box the titmouse was building in had been overrun with ants. Got all that taken care of and moved the box three feet back so it wasn’t in the same place. I also put some petroleum jelly underneath the baffle so ants couldn’t make it to the box but birds or squirrels wouldn’t get any on them.
Waiting for Some More Chickadees
I resigned myself to the fact that my incredible tufted titmouse nest was just not going to happen. As far as I knew, tufted titmice don’t build false nests. It bothered me I couldn’t figure why else they would start one and abandon it. Don’t get me wrong, I love chickadees and look forward to them nesting in my boxes every year. Still, I really thought I was going to house a brood of titmice I had never had before.
I just decided this was not going to be the year for this.
Next up: We WILL have a tufted titmouse nest!
In part 2, I’ll talk about the next successful attempt the tufted titmouse mom made at building a home for her little ones. I’ll show you the incredibly fast nest completion pics and a short video of her going in and out of the box. Stay tuned for that!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on your favorite social media platform using the buttons below. Also, leave me a comment and let me know if you have any experience with tufted titmice nesting in your back yard. Or, just let me know what you’d like to see covered in future posts on the blog.
Thanks for reading and watching!
Jeff
PS In case you’re wondering, I’ve had an affinity for titmice for some time now. Going back to and before this video I shot of one my wife and I helped out. Have a look!
Hello Jeff !
So good to find your post here on tufted Titmouse nest building situation . I am in exactly the same quandary ! Like you, I love to watch all bird varieties in my backyard and , my nest boxes have done well for my
Chickadees. But now , a few weeks after chickadees fledged , I cleaned and soon noticed the Titmouse couple checking the nest boxes out ! Female, like yours behaved and then began feverish building ! Leaves mostly going into it . One day only . Next day – she’s moved on to a different nest box , close by ! She’s been working on it for couple of days, only later afternoon time. Male always close by .. but today , no activity at all .
Wondering if should leave both of the boxes, and just wait longer ? The chickadees are ‘courting’ I can see (so cute) and if lady Titmouse has changed her mind (?) Then chickadees could move in !!
What are your thoughts, suggestions ?
Appreciate it so much .
Hi Christi,
I have not observed false nest building with my titmice. I know a lot of birds do this but I haven’t seen it with them.
Please don’t be offended if I ask because this IS critical. Are you positively sure it’s a titmouse female and not house wren? I know they don’t look much alike at all but here’s the rub: if this is a house wren couple they are VERY aggressive with their territory. If you cleaned out one of the boxes and something else built in it it would be tragic. Most likely the house wrens would kill any offspring of anybody that built there.
House wrens don’t generally use leaves so I’m pretty sure you’re safe.
I would wait a few days in any case to make sure it is titmice and to let them finish building the second box before clearing out the first. It should only delay the process a little while. I know for a fact the chickadees will be undaunted as soon as the box is cleared out.
I know how hard it is to see chickadees looking in a box and seeing any kind of nest.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Like I said, I would just let the titmice get serious about the second box before cleaning the first.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I was in a walk yesterday and noticed a titmouse dive down into an open metal fence pipe, then fly out. I climbed up the fence to peer down the pipe and found a nest of hatchlings- probably only 2-3 days old. The pipe is about 4 inches in diameter, and she built the nest about 18 inches to 2 feet down inside the pipe. It was ab 95 degrees here yesterday and I’m worried about the babies. The mom continues to feed them, but will the baby birds be able to get out of the top of the pipe when they are ready to leave the nest? Is there a possibility that the metal pipe is too hot and the baby titmouse birds might die? Should I try to remove the nest and put it in a nest box? I don’t know how I would even do that without potentially harming one of the babies or even potentially pushing the nest down the pipe farther.
I just wanted to know your thoughts/recommendations. Thank you.
Sarah J
Hi Sarah Jane,
It is very sweet of you to think of those little ones! But you need not worry. The mom knew what she was doing when she made that nest. The babies will be fine until they fledge in a few more days. I’m a little surprised that she made a nest in a space without cover but, like my article said, they’re tough and smart little birds.
I would not remove them or bother the nest in any way. Let nature run its course. As I mentioned, they’ll be out of there soon enough. Sooner than usual because she knows they’re vulnerable where they are.
Do let me know when they do leave the nest and pat yourself on the back for worrying about something most humans don’t even pay attention to. We need more humans like you!
Best,
Jeff
Dear Jeff,
Yesterday my husband and I were cleaning out the remnants of last year’s large
lemongrass plant out of a very large pot of ivy on our deck – preparing to plant a
new lemongrass plant. That is when we discovered a well hidden titmouse nest
with three eggs in it. As we were cleaning the male and female were dashing in
and out of a large shrub right next to the deck (so we actuall thought the nest
was in that shrub). When we discovered the nest in the large pot (22″ wide by 30″
high) we quickly put all the old, long, dead lemongrass leaves back over the nest
intending to leave them there until the birds were done. But, sadly, we have not
seen the birds resume any activity near the nest. Should we give it more time
before we assume it has been abandoned? It has been a little less than 24 hours.
Should we see if there is a wildlife organization that will care for the eggs if the
male and female do not return? How long can the embryos in thr eggs remain
viable without the female sitting on them? We are in VA and it is in the 80s today,
but the evenings still get chilly. Thanks for your help~
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for being a human that pays attention to these things!
First of all, I’m not sure I understand if you’ve disturbed the nest or just uncovered it. In most cases, it’s best to just leave it be if it hasn’t been too disturbed. The fact that you’re not seeing anything going on there is not necessarily a bad sign since it IS warm now. If they had left it for any amount of time in the winter I’d be more worried.
To be honest, I’m not sure what a rehabilitator can do with eggs but your local rehab in VA is at: https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/injured/rehabilitators/
Maybe you could at least give them a call if you don’t see anything happening within the next day or so. Unfortunately, I’m afraid nobody is going to be there due to COVID-19.
Wish I could be more helpful but for now you should just give it some time. They are a very hardy species and will find away to take care of their young if they can find them.
Jeff
Thanks kindly for your response and for the link Jeff. I think
my initial thought is that maybe some incubate the eggs when
the nest has actually been abandoned. The nest did actually
get unintentionally lifted out of the pot with other debris.
It was safely nestled back in there unharmed after the discovery –
and gently and loosely covered again with the dead lemongrass
leaves. The female was spotted once since then on the adjacent
deck railing. We are praying for the best – especially after reading
here how long and hard the female works to build that dear nest.
With only 3 eggs she might still be laying them. Hopefully she is
tending them when we aren’t aware. Thanks again~
Hi Ashley,
So glad to hear she’s still around. That is a VERY good sign!
Most of the behavior you’re witnessing is part of the miracle programming birds must receive genetically. That’s why most of the time you’ll see them fly up and land NEAR the nest and not directly into it. They’re looking around to make sure nobody noticed them.They don’t want to lead predators right to their babies.
Please update me when you have anything to report. Would you please?
I have no experience with anything younger than a wounded adult with the rehab centers. I’m sure they have a way to hatch and care for them but I’ve not seen it.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
We left the nest undisturbed until today –
but sadly they did not return. Oh how I wish
this not to be the case – such a lovely, cozy
nest she had built….squeezes the heart that
it was abandoned…sigh…
I would like to send you a picture if you would like that~
Kind Regards~
Ashley
Hi Ashley,
Feel better by knowing that just because she abandoned that nest it doesn’t mean she hasn’t made another elsewhere. I know it’s tough right now. It’s part of the cycle of life we go through. Plus, there’s the possibility that something simply happened to one of them and they abandoned it.
Don’t beat yourself up about this. The fact that you even noticed the nest puts you WAY ahead of most humans. Feel good knowing that for now.
Do me three favors:
1. Don’t laugh. Think of the titmice pair and wish them well and ask them if they would consider coming back this year.
2. Send me a pic of the nest before you….
3. Remove it and dispose of the eggs. If you have woods near you DON’T throw them into them. That will attract predators which are on the rise now with humans quarantined.
Let me know if there’s anything more I can do for you.
Jeff
Do me a
I live in Georgia and have a deck with an enclosed screened porch which has a pet door to allow my two dogs and cat to exit onto the open deck and out to the yard.. we have a wooded area that backs up to our yard and have assorted bird feeders.
During the last two weeks I have seen a titmouse on my screened in porch and the only way he/she could have entered is through the pet door. I’m not sure if it is the same titmouse but I’m suspicious that it is, it just seems too coincidental that I find one on the porch every few days. I go thru an elaborate scheme to get the bird to exit, by lining up flowering baskets leading to the door and propping it open. Eventually the bird exits.
Is it possible the bird thinks the opening of the pet door is a bird house? Should I put a birdhouse outside for the bird to keep it off the porch?
We keep the pet door partially open because one of the dogs is very old and gets confused by the flap. The pets don’t bother the birds. The cat is 22 years old and just sleeps in the sun on the open deck.
Hi Shirley,
Knowing titmice, I’m sure he figured it out. It could be the same one but they learn from each other too.
A birdhouse would be great but is there any way you could attach screening to the bottom of the flap so that he can’t get in? Anything so it just doesn’t look like a place to explore. I don’t think he/she thinks it’s a birdhouse though.
Let me know a little more or send me a pic to: jeff at birdoculars.com
Jeff
Hi there! I believe we have a small nest from a Tufted Titmouse, but once we discovered it (while cleaning out old plants from a planter) the birds have not returned to the eggs. I have not seen any activity in over 6 days. Once we noticed the nest and eggs, we carefully covered it back up. The nest itself is more of a hole carved into the soil, covered with nesting material. Maybe it’s not a titmouse! Should we wait longer before removing the eggs? Any advice is appreciated!
Hi Sarah,
I don’t believe they’ll nest that close to the ground. Here is an excellent resource where you can compare the nesting material and the appearance of the eggs themselves. For now, I’d leave them where they are until you’ve learned more about them.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse
Jeff
I have tufted titmouses building a nest in a birdhouse. In another spot in my garden, wrens started building a nest. The other day, I spotted one of the wrens on top of the tufted titmouse’s birdhouse. To my horror, I have since seen the wren throwing out nesting material in the tufted titmouse’s house.
But as of today, the titmouse are still bring nesting material to the house.
Will the wrens drive the tufted titmouses away?
If so, is there anything I can do to prevent that?
Hi Crystal,
The main question I have is what kind of wrens are they? If they are house wrens, they WILL displace the titmouse nest. In that case, it would be best to let them clean it out before there are any eggs or young. I had house wrens kill a family of titmice a couple of years ago. They are extremely territorial and consider any other birds nesting to be a threat. Don’t even think about tearing their nest out either. That would be the spark to start an inferno.
Hopefully, after the wrens have raised their young they will move on.
Let me know some more about your situation and where you’re located.
Jeff
Hi Jeff!
I live in the NW corner of NJ.
Yes, they are house wrens. I had observed both the wrens and titmouse building nests, in their own respective houses. Then the wrens started hanging around the titmouse house.
I had just learned about the destruction caused by house sparrows a few years ago, but I did not know, until now, that wrens are just as much a danger to the other birds.
We used to have bluebirds frequently come to nest in this particular house. And in Jan., Feb., we see lots of bluebirds around this house. I had read that they roost together to stay warm.
I was always surprised at the bluebirds’ interest, because it was not a bluebird house. Last year, they started but then were abruptly gone. I assumed that sparrows were the culprit, but now that I have witnessed the wrens going after this house, I am wondering if it was the wrens driving them out.
I ignorantly created this situation, as we put up a tiny house on our lattice a few years ago and have always had wrens nesting there.
I am not sure if I can get photos inserted into this text, so if the links don’t work, how would I share photos in this comment?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ca9GMuyWyWKorE8k9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jWcp8QHD93QSwatX9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FBFWjFMsGC5jbfC76
https://photos.app.goo.gl/L8oSdvwLLKYZoLsH8
This morning total destruction hit. There was quite a bit of debris and an egg smashed on the patio. I did see the tufted titmouse pick up some moss and fly up to the house, then fly off.
Now the wrens appear to be building another nest in the abandoned titmouse house.
Unbeknownst to me, my husband had plugged it up to keep the wrens from moving in, thinking the titmouse had abandoned the house. I told him to unplug it after I saw the titmouse, hoping that they hadn’t given up. But now the wrens do appear to be building a nest or else they are building a dummy nest.
My question today regards wren shields that I read about. If we put up a piece of wood on the pagoda that obscures the house from the view from the wren house, will that possibly deter the wren’s interest in monitoring this house?
Or how do I make a shield for an A-frame house?
I am assuming that when the wrens are done raising their young, we can then remove their little house from the lattice. Or can I move it Now, further away, to a tree on the other side of the lattice.
Thank you for your input!
Sincerely,
Crystal
Hi Crystal,
I must have misunderstood because I thought we were talking about two different species (house wrens, titmice) that were trying for the same house. I didn’t understand that the titmice had already put eggs in it?
The main thing that you need to know is that house wrens consider ANY bird or nest a threat at ANY time during the nesting process. That you have given them a house in the past is not something to kick yourself for. Your intentions were good.
As long as they are competing for the same nest, I would just let the wrens have the nest you gave them AND the bluebird nestbox. If not, they will torment and possibly kill any other bird that tries to call it home.
I do not have experience with wren guards except that I am pretty sure they are most effective BEFORE the wren knows there is a viable nesting box. I honestly doubt it would do anything more than anger them and raise the threat level.
My best advice is let them sort it out. In the future, you may have to take down your wren box. That MAY keep them from claiming your yard as theirs but I’m not that hopeful.
After my titmouse tragedy a couple years ago, I had to throw out at least five attempts of theirs to claim another box after their young had fledged. Eventually, after about two weeks, they just moved on.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you need any more help. I’m happy to do it!
Jeff
Hi Jeff.
I live in Elizabethtown, KY and I need some information please. For the past few weeks I have had a Titmouse couple living in a homemade birdhouse sitting on a iron table under my patio, about 3 feet off the ground. I’ve been hearing the baby birds and watching the parents feeding it. This evening, right before a bad evening thunderstorm, I noticed one of the babies was on the table outside the birdhouse. It was pretty good sized but the feathers looked “fluffy” so I thought it was a baby. I picked it up and tried to put it back in the birdhouse but it did not want to go in. Then another bird shortly flew out which I think was the female parent. The baby didn’t seem to be able to fly. Then, my dog alerted on two other baby birds out in the grass, soaked to the skin and they couldn’t fly either. I’m afraid my dog may have nipped them a bit before I could run her off. Is it normal for the birds to be on the ground and not be able to fly? I pray that me or my dog haven’t harmed them in any way. I have never had a birdhouse before and I guess I expected them to leave the nest when they could fly. Do you think they weren’t high enough off the ground to be able to fly from the nest? Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Loretta Ann,
Thank you for taking the time to care about these little ones!
My guess is if they were outside the nest, they had fledged it which is why it didn’t want back in.
The best thing(s) you can do is let the mother tend to her young and keep your dog away from them!
To answer your question, nestlings generally are not coaxed out of the next until they can fly. What may have happened is just that they got out just before the storm and had their wings soaked. That young, they don’t know how to fly like that.
I was surprised that they picked on that low to the ground but stranger things have happened.
Do let us know how this turns out, ok?
Jeff
Dear Jeff,
I have a bluebird nesting box and the chickadees used it last year. This year I peeked inside and saw one tufted titmouse egg. I waited a week (yesterday) to check it again and it was missing ?.
Today I have observed a tufted titmouse coming to my feeder to get seeds and he looks all around and leaves quickly. I see starlings, mourning, doves, thrashers and squirrels.
Who do you think took the egg or what happened to it? It has a wire cage around the entrance door but I bought a baffle to go around the pole.
Hi Bobbie,
I can think of only two possibilities. One is a snake who was able to get through the center of the baffle and the second is a squirrel that was able to jump from a limb above it. They are incredibly agile that way.
Are either of those a possibility?
Jeff