The Name, Tufted Titmouse

It all began long long ago, in the 14th century when the Old English name for bird, “mase,” and “tit,” meaning something small, were put together to represent the Tufted Titmouse. Time went by, the word “mase,” morphed into “mose” which eventually became “mouse” and took on new thoughts of what it means. A quick little rodent?

They certainly do make one think of a little mouse. But we’ve got to remember that it’s not named because it resembles a mouse but it’s a “little bird!”

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), a very common bird at my feeders and in the woods around my cabin. And it seems their best buddies are Chickadees. I see them so very often together. They’re close cousins, members of the family, Paridae.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “The Name, Tufted Titmouse”

  1. Brenda, you are not only brilliant in your photography, but also in your research and your subsequent commentary. A major reason to open my emails every morning to see “What does Bren have to teach me today”.
    You always put a smile on my face !

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