birds

Tufted Titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

The tufted titmouse is a small songbird in the tit and chickadee family. It is a common backyard bird in the eastern United States. They can often be found in flocks with chickadees and other passerines (perching birds). Their distinctive song is often described as "peter-peter-peter," though it has over 20 variations. Tufted titmice are known to be curious about humans and will perch on window ledges to look into houses. Their average lifespan is 2.1 years, but they can live for up to 10 years.

Black-Capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

The black-capped chickadee is a small, nonmigratory songbird. They are known for their excellent spatial memory and ability to lower their body temperature during cold nights to conserve energy. They are also very comfortable around humans, to the point of sometimes eating directly from people's hands. Black-capped chickadees have 13 types of vocalizations. The two most common calls are described as "fee-bee" and "chick-a-dee-dee-dee," which the bird is named after. Their longest recorded lifespan is 12 years, but on average they live for 6 years. The Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is very similar in appearance to the black-capped chickadee, and they are often mistaken for one another where their ranges overlap, but in fact the two species diverged approximately 2.5 million years ago.

Giant Hummingbird

Patagona gigas

They are so big