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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