Bushtit

“Bushtit” may not seem like an appropriate name for a bird, but in this case it actually does fit the bill.  “Titr” is an ancient word meaning “small”. Weighing in at a whopping 6 grams and standing a colossal 4 ½ inches high, they fall just short of the heavyweight division. Bushits really do like the bush; they prefer brushy, scrubby habitat and do well in suburban settings. Bushtits belong to the long-tailed tit family, another delightfully short yet descriptive name. (I swear that I’m not making this up!)

Bushtits are highly social creatures; you’ll never see just one Bushtit. Even during nesting season, the newlywed pair will recruit several friends and family members to help with the kids. They’ll all build an amazing nest woven of spider’s silk and plant matter, lined with cozy animal fur and camouflaged on the outside with tree bark. The female will lay up to 15 eggs—no wonder the parents need the help! Both parents, plus all their helpers, crowd into the nest at night to sleep.

A Bushtit nest

There is no other bird quite so tiny and blandly coloured, and along with the flocking behaviour these birds are unmistakable. I saw this one in my back yard in North Delta on March 19, along with about 20 of her friends. The nest is just down the road, and it’s possible that it will soon be occupied by her or one of her flock-mates.