3 3/4-4 1/2" (10-12 cm). Chestnut brown head with gray eye- stripe; gray back and dark brown wings; White below with chestnut flanks
; long, dark brown tail;
black bill. Males have dark eyes, females have yellow eyes. Psaltriparus
minimus
(Bushtit)
Physical
Description:
3 3/4-4 1/2" (10-12 cm).
Chestnut brown head with gray eye- stripe; gray back and dark brown wings; White
below with chestnut flanks; long, dark brown tail;
black bill. Males have dark eyes, females have yellow eyes.
Similar Species- Verdin, Lucy's Warbler, Gnatcatchers
Song:
Whisper-like,
excited squeaks and twitters.
Distribution:
Resident
in coastal ranges from southwestern British Columbia, south to southern Baja
California. Also resident in interior from southern and southeastern Oregon,
southwestern Idaho, north-central Utah, western Colorado, western Oklahoma,
and central Texas, south into Mexico and Guatemala.
Habitat:
Found in woodlands,
in scrub habitat with scattered trees and shrubs, along brushy streamsides,
in pinyon/juniper, in juniper, in chaparral and pine/oak associations, and in
trees and shrubs in residential areas. In Rocky Mountains, may be found at elevations
up to 1800-2500 m.
Diet:
Feeds primarily
on spiders and insects (e.g., aphids, leafhoppers, scale insects, beetles, wasps,
ants, and caterpillars). Will also eat some fruits.
Ecology:
Nests in hanging pocket
in tree or shrub. Roosts in tightly huddled groups. Gleans prey from foliage
while flitting about trees and shrubs. May forage in loose flocks. In winter, often found
in mixed species flocks (kinglets, wrens, chickadees) that may number 20-50
birds.
Reproduction:
clutch size is usually 5-7 eggs,
but may sometimes number 15. Incubation lasts 12-13 days. Nestlings are altricial, are tended by both parents,
and leave nest in 14-15 days.
Conservation:
| Element Code: | ABPAY01010 |
| Status: | Protected nongame species |
| Global Rank: | G5 |
| State Rank: | S4 |
| National Rank: | N5 |
Important
State References:
No references are available at this time.