Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus


Oak Titmouse
The Oak Titmouse's native habitat is the dry oak slopes of California, extending north into Oregon and south into Baja California. The species has spread from the native oaks to a variety of trees in parks and suburbs, including my suburban garden on the Stanford campus, where we hear their chickadee-like call all year, and their repeated two-note whistled song in the spring.  This bird was formerly conspecific with the very similar Juniper Titmouse of the Great Basin, under the apt name of Plain Titmouse.


Oak Titmouse

Oak Titmouse

Oak Titmouse
An Oak Titmouse carrying a centipede to a nest, above, and feeding on sunflower seeds, below.
Oak Titmouse



Oak Titmouse
Above, gathering nesting material by shredding a fan palm frond; these fibers
are also the source of the carefully woven hanging nests of the Hooded Oriole.


Oak Titmouse
This bird's nest was inside the larger hole at the lower left of the picture.