Busy bushtits are regular visitors
Suet and shelled nuts are popular lures for these small and active birds
The bushtit is a fairly common bird throughout New Mexico. These tiny gray-brown birds, about 4½
inches long with a short bill and long tail, make a loud buzz and chipping sound as they move rapidly in and out of bushes and trees searching for food.
The bushtit is found only in the west. The birds’ year-round range extends from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest and into Canada. This hardy little bird lives at elevations as high as 11,000 feet and adapts to a variety of habitat, from oak and pine forests, scrubby desert to urban and rural backyards. Their diet consists mainly of small insects and spiders.
When foraging for food, bushtits are quite acrobatic. They have the ability to hang upside down, which allows them to grab insects from the underside of leaves and branches. In winter months when food supply is low, we often see more bushtits at feeders. Bushtits form mixed flocks with other small birds like chickadees and kinglets to increase their chances of finding food. Bushtits do not eat birdseed but can be enticed to backyards by feeders containing suet or shelled nuts. This is one way to catch a close-up view of these “busy” birds as they stop to grab a bite to eat. If you see a group of tiny gray birds mobbing your suet or nut feeder, then you certainly are looking at bushtits.
During the summer nesting season, most breeding pairs of bird species are usually very territorial and guard their nesting sites from other birds. Not the bushtit. Bushtits are very social and hospitable birds. A breeding pair will allow other bushtits, commonly called “helpers” to assist in building the nest and even raising the young. These “helpers” are often adult males.
This social behavior does not stop after the nesting season. A breeding pair will stay together for several years. Bushtits form flocks of 10 to 40 birds. If a bird becomes separated from the flock, it will make a series of highpitched chips that can be heard from a great distance so the flock can locate it. These birds really know how to work together.
When out and about or relaxing in your own backyard, be sure to watch for bushtits. Catching a glimpse of these friendly, perky birds is sure to put a smile on your face.
Mary Schmauss is the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Albuquerque. A lifelong birder and author of “For the Birds: A Month-by-Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard”.