I have started volunteering at a wonderful Wildlife Rehab Center. It's an amazing place and I very much enjoy being a part of their team. So, busy over the spring and summer as you can imagine with birds, baby birds, mammals and on and on. The last time I was in, I was cleaning out the avery of a Bushtit. This little bird had originally come in with 2 other siblings. Babies that lost their Mom to most likely a cat. This little fellow has been there for about 2 months now and is doing very well. Not the little fellow that you see above but one that looks very close to it.
These sweet little birds are very very social and while I was cleaning out his aviary he would virtually land on my hand talking away to me. So delicate and tiny and me so big and scary! He kept lightly touching his beak to my wedding band.. pecking curiously at the little diamonds in it all the while cheeping cheerfully. This bird has flown straight into the very darkest depths of my heart.. I had little tears of love welling up in my eyes.. I was so blown away by his courageous heart. I would move the little curtain over and peek at him and he would immediatly peek back at me talking all the while. lol For something so tiny, the joyful power of healing the heart they have is tremendous!
They have a beautiful voice! See here Birdnote and press play on the little button to hear their sound.
They eat tiny insects, spiders and will nibble on some berries and seeds. They also tend to love Suet feeders.
Their nests are impressive, woven, hanging baskets with a hole high up on the side of the nest and a passageway to the nest chamber at the bottom. They can be up to a foot long, and is generally built of spider webs, moss, lichen, and other plant material. Inside, the nest is lined with plant down, fur, and feathers.
They are very social birds, keeping in groups of 40+.
Another interesting thing about Bushtit's is that they are even very social with other birds.. to the point where other birds will even help feed the Bushtit's fledglings for them!
Bushtit's are only about 11cm or 3.5 inchs in length and only weigh about 5 grams.
When feeding they often hang upside down to get at the underside of leaves.
They reside from extreme southwestern British Columbia, southern Idaho, southwestern Wyoming, and the Oklahoma panhandle southward.
Well, that's about it.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Peace,
Tammy
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