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Nature's Solace
Celebrating Nature in the Pacific Northwest
Bushtit -- Psaltriparus minimus
A bushtit family?
Females have the light eyes while the males' eyes are dark.
Bushtits are incredibly cute, little, active social birds who travel together in busy flocks. Announcing their arrival with a cacophony of chipping and twittering sounds - they don't really have what we'd consider a "song". My husband and I would watch their flock of 20+ make their stopover in our trees and suet feeder. Not being a bird to sit still, they all busily picked away at insects and suet food, never staying in one place for long. We felt privileged to be on their path of neighborhood stopovers - coming by three times or more in a day.
The real treat came one afternoon when I heard an unusually raucous amount of twittering. I searched for the source and there, on a branch of my neighbor's overhanging shrub, were seven babies huddled together with maybe the parents standing by. I watched as one by one the young flew off until one was left. He didn't look too happy about this, but in time braved the flight, joining the rest. I never found the nest which must have been nearby.
Their almost constant calling is a way for them to keep in touch with each other both in flight and while foraging. On cold nights, they huddle tightly together to keep warm. They are one of the more gregarious of birds, gathering in family flocks of 10 - 40 related birds. The breeding pair stays together for several years. Their lifespan is 7 to 8 years.
Nesting : Perhaps bushtits are best known for their unusual and remarkable "sock" nests which can take over a month to create. The nests are built by both mates and are constructed from lichen, moss, leaves, twigs, and spider webs. The nests are tightly woven and can be a foot long with a hole in the side near the top. While constructing the nest, they can use their body weight to help stretch the nest downward. The nest is so well insulated with feathers, fur, and downy plants that the parents have more freedom to forage rather than the need for one to always be inside. The stretchiness of the nest allows for all four to ten chicks - although up to 15 have been recorded! - plus parents and helpers to share the nest during nesting time. Sounds quite crowded, but huddling is something bushtits do! The inclusion of helpers is rare in the bird world. They are typically adult males who did not breed that year. They may help in the incubation and feeding of the young. There may be two broods.
Resources:
All About Birds
Audubon Field Guide
Birds Outside My Window
The Spruce
For all you might want to know and more, check out Sarah Sloane's blog: The Secret Lives of Bushtits
Sarah Sloane has been watching and studying bushtits for 36+ years.
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