Oak Titmouse in Iochroma Bush

The Oak Titmouse is a common resident of Northern California Oak woodlands. Typically monogamous throughout its short (about five-year) life, it nests in comfy moss-lined cavities. It is vocal, and its songs and calls are often heard when one is walking in our woods. Birds of Northern California describes its call as a nasal tsick-a-dee-dee, but as you can hear at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, its sounds are more varied than that suggests. A bit high-strung, it can often be seen hopping about in search of insects, nuts, berries, and seeds (it also frequents feeders). Though not brightly colored or patterned, it boasts a jaunty head tuft (hard to see here), and all in all is quite the charmer.