Female Tufted Titmouse (How to Identify vs Male)

Tufted chickadees are frequent and recognizable visitors to bird feeders throughout eastern North America. This species can often be identified by its gray tufts and black forehead.

Distinguishing males from females can be difficult because both sexes have the same plumage. However, careful observation can help you distinguish behavioral differences.

Most notably, females differ from males in their nest-building and feeding habits. You can also pay attention to some other characteristics. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the female tufted tit and give you tools to help you identify female from female more easily. Read on to discover more!

Unfortunately, you can’t tell the difference between male and female tufted tits by their feathers because they are the same

How to tell if a tufted tit is male or female?

Male and female tufted tits are sexually dimorphic, which means their plumage is identical. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to tell the sex of this bird based on color or markings alone. To determine whether a tit is male or female, you must observe behavioral differences and listen to their calls.

For example, men tend to display more dominant behaviors than women. At feeders, males may be territorial and drive other birds away. Women, on the other hand, are more tolerant of the presence of others. Females also don’t sing the distinctive “Peter, Peter” song that males are known for. They have their own way of speaking.

We’ll look more deeply at vocalization and other behavioral differences among female tufted tits later in this article.

What does a female tufted tit look like?

The female tufted tit is gray overall, with a darker back and lighter breast. She has a pointed gray crown and black forehead and beak. The chickadee has a large head in proportion to the body, with large, dark eyes. In winter, the tufted chickadee’s flanks display soft, rust-colored plumage.

Juvenile tufted tits are similar in color to adults. Their plumage is light gray with a forehead marking that is darker than black. The feathers are still loose and soft. Young birds usually develop this plumage between May and August. After this time, young adults will molt and begin to look more like adults.

close up of tufted tits

Are female tufted tits bigger than males?

Female tufted tits are no larger than males. On average, males are larger, weighing up to 12 ounces. Females typically weigh up to 10 oz. With good eyesight, you may be able to tell the difference between males and females based on size. However, this can be difficult unless a pair is close to each other.

behavioral difference

One of the best ways to tell the difference between male and female tufted tits is to take a close look at the differences in their behavior. They differ most notably in their singing and vocalizations, nesting and feeding roles, and aggression (or social behavior).

We’ll take a closer look at these differences in the following sections.

Tufted tit female (left) and male (right) giving his mate some food

sing and call

Unlike males, female tufted tits cannot sing. In general, women are quieter than men. She does, however, have a set of low-pitched calls that she uses in her den, or to warn of predators nearby. this ‘see‘ is their most prominent warning call, usually when a flying predator is observed.

nesting and feeding

Once the nest is built, usually in a tree hollow or nest box, the female soon lays her eggs and begins to hatch. Only the females hatch – a period that lasts 12 to 14 days. During this time, the male will provide the mate with all of her food, whether she is inside or outside the nest.

On average, females appear to remain in the nest for 25-27 minutes, with short breaks in between to receive food, bathe and defecate.

Once the eggs hatch, the female continues to hatch the chicks for the first few days. During this time, the male provides most of the food for the female and her offspring. After the chicks are 12 to 13 days old, females brood less. She then begins to share more feeding responsibilities with her partner.

Chicks usually leave the nest 15 or 16 days after hatching. However, some chicks may stay with their parents for as long as six weeks.

Tufted tits collecting nesting material

social behavior

Tufted tits spend the winter in flocks. Within these flocks there is a social hierarchy. Males, including juveniles, are more dominant than females.

These groups as a whole are also very territorial and will fight other chickadee groups that enter their territory. When fights do occur, females are less likely to participate — males occupy more than 90 percent of the territory defenders.

Can a female tufted tit raise her young alone?

It is unlikely that a female tufted tit will successfully raise her young alone. During incubation and brooding, the female is almost entirely dependent on the male to provide her and her young with food.

If a female leaves the nest for an extended period of time during incubation or brooding, she leaves the eggs or young at their most vulnerable. Either the hatch will fail, or a predator will destroy the nest.

A pair of tufted tits on suet feeding pine cones

Are female tufted tits aggressive?

Female tufted tits are not as aggressive or dominant as males. However, they still exhibit confident behavior, especially around breeders. Because tits are larger than many songbirds (and only slightly smaller than cardinals), they tend to have the upper hand when competing for food sources. Females can also be aggressive when the nest or young are threatened.