Titmouse In The Berries Garden

"Titmouse In The Berries Garden".

Oil On Paper - Mixed Media, 2021.

This painting is based on the original photograph ‘Irresistibly Cute Tufted Titmouse’, by Cindy Treger, whose express consent has been requested to use it as a reference.

The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small songbird from North America, a species in the tit and chickadee family. Unlike the chickadees, they don't excavate their own nest hole. They use natural holes and also nest boxes, and they are easy to spot in both the north and south parts of the eastern half of the United States.

Their plumage is mostly gray with paler underparts and orange sides. The crest and their tail (about one-third its entire length) are gray, but the forehead is black.

This rather gentle, lively bird is common all year in eastern forests, where its whistled three times two-step song may be heard even during mid-winter thaws. As a curiosity, they can eat snow when the water supply is lacking.

They love sunflower seeds, the bigger the better, and are usually the first birds to give a high-pitched alarm call in response to a predator. As they usually mate for life, they defend a territory throughout the year and help and offer help to other birds when needed. They may join a small flock of other titmice, but these flocks will break up in late winter in order to establish nesting territories.