Fun Oak Titmouse Facts For Kids

Are you a bird lover? Then you are most definitely going to love a bird that beholds the grace of an oak mouse. No, you are not going to need a separate bird guide to look at the facts as we will provide all the best and interesting information about the oak titmouse that'll work as a bird guide. Oak titmice belong to the order Passeriformes, family Paridae of birds. Though they are songbirds, each song is different from another song in each species. These plain titmouse birds reside in nests that they build in trees and are known to search and catch insects from the air. They also feed on seeds and other foliage. During the mating season, i.e. March to July, all these birds are known to live in colonies together. They are non-migratory birds and spend their entire time in their own habitat all year-round. The conservation status of these plain titmouse birds is Least Concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, you can attract an oak titmouse by having a plant cover from a tree where they can make their nest or a favorable nesting spot.

If you like this article, check out the bowerbird and the California condor.

What type of animal is an oak titmouse?

Despite having a mouse in its name, the oak titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) is not a mouse. On the contrary, it a type of bird.

What class of animal does an oak titmouse belong to?

The oak titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) belongs to the order Passeriformes family Paridae and the class Aves of the Animalia kingdom.

How many oak titmice are there in the world?

There is no accurate data that corresponds to the exact number of oak titmice that are present on our planet. However, scientists have estimated that there are almost 500,000 individuals of the oak titmouse bird that live on earth.

Where does an oak titmouse live?

These North American birds are exclusive to the continent of North America and reside in open grasslands, woodlands, and open forests. Scientists are of the opinion that almost 89% of the population of the oak titmouse resides in the USA, while the other 11% can be found in Mexico.

What is an oak titmouse habitat?

Much similar to their name, an oak titmouse's nest can be found in oak forests, woodlands, and open grasslands where there is an abundance of pine and oak trees. These birds are known to live in a climate that is usually a bit warm, dry, and is of average elevation. These conditions for the habitat are exclusively found in Baja California, Sierra Nevada, and also around the Pacific slope of the USA. They are non-migratory birds and thus prefer staying in their habitat all year-round.

Who do oak titmice live with?

The oak titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) is not a solitary animal, and thus they don't prefer staying alone. Neither are they too gregarious that they prefer large groups. These plain titmouse birds are usually found in pairs or in very small groups. During the breeding season, pairs are found in abundance, while when it comes to collect search for food, inter-species groups are not an uncommon sight.

How long does an oak titmouse live?

There is very limited data that gives us an insight into the lifespan of an oak titmouse. However, according to the Cornell Lab, it has been found out that the oldest bird that has been captured was of an age of nine years before it was again released out onto into the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Similar to the majority of birds, it is the female that chooses the nest while the male accompanies her. Usually, a tall tree is chosen as the favorable nesting site, and it provides protection and shelter from predators and invaders. Other nesting sites include holes and fences. An average of four to 10 4-10 days is required for the completion of this nest in the breeding season. The breeding season is from March to July. The female lays between three and nine eggs and then she incubates them for between 14-16 days. The newborn birds require the help of their parents. The parent pair takes care of the young ones for almost six weeks before these young birds fly away.

What is their conservation status?

The oak titmice have been listed as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List. The population of these species is now currently stable as of now, however, human activities like loss of habitat and climate change can lead to a steady decline in the number of individuals of these species.

What do oak titmice look like?

These small birds are usually brown to gray in color. There is minimal distinction between male and female variants of the species, and thus these birds showcase almost no sexual dimorphism.

How cute are they?

These small birds are extremely cute and can be considered as little adorable puffballs by some people.

How do they communicate?

The oak titmice communicate with each other with a wide array of calls. These are highly vocal calls, and thus they can also be considered to be songbirds.

How big is an oak titmouse?

The oak titmice are a small species of birds and are usually 5 in (12.7 cm) in length approximately. In comparison to a hummingbird, these are a tad bigger as the former is just 4 in (10 cm).

How fast can an oak titmouse fly?

The oak titmouse is an active flyer, as is depicted in its behavior to search and hunt on insects. However, owing to insufficient data the speed at which, the oak titmouse flies cannot be determined.

How much does an oak titmouse weigh?

The oak titmouse is a small bird and thus it has a mere weight of around 0.56 oz (16 g) 0.3-0.7 oz (10-21 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no special name that has been assigned to the male and female oak titmouse. However, generalized names for birds can be used, like cocks for males and hens for females.

What would you call a baby oak titmouse?

Like all other birds, a young and baby oak titmouse is referred to as a chick.

What do they eat?

They are known to eat insects as well as seeds. These birds are omnivorous in nature, and they love catching insects. They also eat seeds as food which include acorns, berries, and other foliage.

Are they dangerous?

No. These small North American birds are not at all dangerous and possess no threat to humans. They are cute and adorable and help in removing pests from their habitat.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, these North American birds would make good pets. As they prefer staying in the open, a nest on a tree might not be a perfect spot for them; rather an open backyard with a nest box would be just perfect for a group of oak titmice where there would be plenty of seeds and foliage as food.

Did you know You Know...

Initially, the oak titmouse and a similar species, the juniper titmouse, were all merged in one category, known as the plain titmouse. However, in 1996, ornithologists separated the two species as they have different habitats and song patterns, but the birds are still considered as two similar species of birds and are still part of the same family.

What is a flock of titmouse called?

Like certain other animals, the collective noun of these bird species is special. A group of oak titmice is called banditry.

Why is a titmouse called a titmouse?

There is a special history in how these plain titmouse birds derived this peculiar name. The history of their name goes back to the medieval ages of Old England, in or around the 14th century. In Old English, 'mase' was used for birds and 'tit' for depicting anything small in size, and that's how the name came into use.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds, including the African penguin and the moorhen.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our California State bird coloring pages.