Attract this bird

How to attract tufted titmice to your yard

Tufted Titmouses respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 36 states and provinces.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Tufted Titmouse is a year-round resident in 36 states and provinces, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and 30 more — there, a yard can host it in every season.

See the Tufted Titmouse in your state →

Plant what tufted titmice use

These native plants are tied to the Tufted Titmouse in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	36	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	36	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
White oak Quercus alba	Tree	36	Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	35	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30	Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Spicebush Lindera benzoin	Shrub	30	Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum	Shrub	27	Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	21	Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	Perennial	18	Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima	Perennial	9	Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Your list covers 3 plant layers (tree, shrub, perennial). Layering matters: mixing tree, shrub, perennial gives tufted titmice food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Insects in summer; seeds, nuts and suet in winter, with caching.

Warm months: Caterpillars, beetles and wasps; Spiders and insect eggs
Cold months: Acorns and beechnuts; Sunflower, peanuts and suet at feeders
At feeders: Black-oil sunflower, Shelled peanuts, Suet

Feeder style matters as much as food: hopper feeder is the first choice for this bird. Titmice favor large seeds, carrying them off to hammer open or cache within about 130 ft of the feeder. Feeder guide →

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: Natural cavities and old woodpecker holes; uses nest boxes.

The Tufted Titmouse uses nest boxes with a 1 1/4 in round entrance, mounted 5–15 ft. Exact box dimensions →

Clutch: 3–9 eggs
Incubation: 12–14 days
Nestling period: 15–16 days
Broods per year: 1 per season (sometimes 2)

Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Alabama but not until May in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.

Frequently asked

What attracts tufted titmice to a yard?

Food they actually eat (black-oil sunflower, shelled peanuts, suet), native plants such as Black cherry, Serviceberry, White oak, clean water and suitable nesting cover: natural cavities and old woodpecker holes; uses nest boxes.

What plants attract tufted titmice?

Across the Tufted Titmouse's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba), American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting tufted titmice?

Nesting starts around March in Alabama and as late as May in Wisconsin. Have cover, water and nest boxes ready a month before.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.