A loud whistle has been echoing through the neighborhood since mid-March. The same note is usually repeated seven times, but sometimes it’s five or even eleven times.
I knew it had to be a common, year-round bird since it would be rare for a migrating songbird to arrive as early as March. But it was not a call I was familiar with. I eventually listened to more than 120 recorded bird calls before I finally found a match—the Tufted Titmouse.
I’ve had Tufted Titmice at my feeders before, but not for a couple of years. This bird has been singing his little heart out almost every day for 6 weeks through snow, rain and sunshine, but he always stays hidden. His song is so loud that I can hear it from inside the house with all the windows closed.
The other day I was outside admiring my daffodils when I heard a bird above my head whispering a very high-pitched call that reminded me of a chickadee. I froze in place and a few moments later the Tufted Titmouse finally made an appearance.