Forest and Rangeland Birds of the United States
Natural History and Habitat Use
Bushtit -- Psaltriparus minimus
RANGE: Resident from extreme southwestern British Columbia, western Washington,
western and southern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, northern Nevada, north-central
Utah, southwestern Wyoming, north-central Colorado, western Oklahoma, and central
Texas south to Baja California, central and southeastern Arizona, and Mexico.
STATUS: Locally common.
HABITAT: Found most frequently in pinyon-juniper habitats, but also
occurs in tall sagebrush, mountain-mahogany, chaparral, brushy or tree-lined
river banks, and in hillside aspen groves.
NEST: Builds a gourd-shaped nest of twigs, mosses, roots, lichens,
oak leaves, and flowers, that is hung from a branch in a clump of leaves.
FOOD: Gleans insects and spiders from foliage of trees and shrubs;
also eats some fruit.
REFERENCES: Addicott 1938, Johnsgard 1979, Terres 1980.
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