New York · Year-round resident

Tufted Titmice in New York

When tufted titmice are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

Status in New York: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season (sometimes 2)
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b
Nest box: 1 1/4 in round hole, 4 × 4 in floor, 5–15 ft
Range note: Most common downstate; expanding north.

When to expect tufted titmice in New York

Tufted Titmouses live in New York all year — most common downstate; expanding north. Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward acorns and beechnuts; sunflower, peanuts and suet at feeders.

Humid continental, from cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, tufted titmice typically nest from April–June. Nest site: natural cavities and old woodpecker holes; uses nest boxes. Females lay 3–9 eggs, incubate for 12–14 days, and young leave the nest after 15–16 days.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

Have boxes cleaned and mounted before March — tufted titmice begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
Use a 1 1/4 in round entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–15 ft.
Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
Clean out old nests after each brood and again after June.

Native New York plants that attract tufted titmice

Of the regional native plants we track for New York, these 8 provide food or cover tufted titmice use:

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

Oaks

Quercus spp. · Tree

Acorns and caterpillars.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

Feeding tufted titmice through the New York year

Titmice favor large seeds, carrying them off to hammer open or cache within about 130 ft of the feeder.

Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Shelled peanuts, Suet.
In New York's winter: Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.

Full diet breakdown for tufted titmice · Best feeder for tufted titmice

Frequently asked

Are tufted titmice in New York year-round?

Yes. Tufted Titmice are year-round residents in New York. Most common downstate; expanding north.

When do tufted titmice nest in New York?

Nesting in New York typically runs April–June, with 1 per season (sometimes 2). Clutches are 3–9 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract tufted titmice in New York?

Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Oaks, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry are native plants in New York that provide food or cover for tufted titmice.

What size birdhouse hole do tufted titmice need?

1 1/4 in round, with a floor of 4 × 4 in mounted 5–15 ft.

Other backyard birds in New York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Fox Sparrow

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.