If you regularly read this blog, you know that I am fascinated with bird behavior. I have found one of the best places to watch feeding behavior is at my feeders. One of the birds I enjoy watching at my feeders is the tufted titmouse.
These perky birds fly to and from my sunflower feeders countless times every day. Each time they carry off a single seed. Sometimes, they will land close enough for me to watch them hull and devour a seed. In many cases, though, they fly out of sight. When this happens, I assume that they are going to store (cache) a seed. While I have never witnessed a tufted titmouse cache seeds, many others have.
Based on their observations, we know that tufted titmice cache seeds within 130 feet of a feeder. Some 46 percent of the time seeds are stored beneath the loose tree bark. They will also wedge seeds between the burrows found on the trunks of trees. If a tree has broken limbs, they also will store seeds in a limb’s rotting wood. They will even bury seeds in the ground.
Titmice will also cache seeds in odd places. One of the most unusual spots used by the birds is a camellia blossom. Since I learned that the birds use such beautiful locations to hide sunflower seeds, I often check camellia blooms around my house. Much to my dismay, I have never found would that held a sunflower seed.
If you have seen tufted titmice storing seeds in odd places, please let me know.
