Psaltriparus minimus

The Bushtit lives throughout the western coast of the North American continent. It ranges from southern Canada to Central America.(Harwood,1982)

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: RESIDENT: coastal ranges from southwestern British Columbia south to southern Baja California, in interior from southern and southeastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, north-central Utah, western Colorado, western Oklahoma, and central Texas, south into Mexico and Guatemala (Terres 1980).

The Bushtit is a small grayish bird with a long tail. Depending on where you see these birds, their facial colors and features differ. Most have brown caps. In the Rocky Mountain area it has a gray cap and brown cheeks. (Harwood, 1982)

Average mass: 5.5 g.

Average mass: 5.5 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.122375 W.

Length: 11 cm

Weight: 5 grams

Systems

• Terrestrial

These birds live from woodland to drier areas in the Arizona region. Bushtits are normally found in pinyon-juniper habitats and near wooded riverbeds. This bird is also found in tree-lined riverbanks, hillside aspen groves, sagebrush, and mountain-mahogany forests. (Fisher, 2000)

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; mountains

Comments: Woodlands and scrub habitat with scattered trees and shrubs. Brushy streamsides, pinyon-juniper, chaparral and pine-oak associations. May be found up to 1800-2500 m in southern Rocky Mtns. Found in trees and shrubs in residential areas. BREEDING: Gourd-shaped nest is suspended from twigs 1-15 m above ground in a tree or shrub.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

The Bushtit feeds on insects and spiders that live in surrounding shrubs and trees in its habitat. It also feeds on small seeds from fruits.(Fisher,2000)

Comments: Feeds primarily on spiders and insects (aphids, leafhoppers, scale insects, beetles, wasps, ants, caterpillars, etc.) also eats some fruit. Gleans prey from foliage while flitting about trees and shrubs. May forage in loose flocks.

In winter often found in mixed species flocks (with kiglets, wrens, chickadees) that may number 20-50 birds. Pairs begin to separate from flocks in January-February.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 101 months.

Maximum longevity: 8.4 years (wild)

The nest of the Bushtit is made from wool, lichens, roots and twigs. The nest hangs from a tree or bush. Within the nest are two to seven white eggs. The incubation period for the eggs is about twelve days. (Fisher, 2000)

Average time to hatching: 12 days.

Average eggs per season: 6.

Clutch size usually 5-7, sometimes as many as 15. Incubation 12-13 days. Nestlings altricial, tended by both parents, leave nest in 14-15 days.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 6
Specimens with Barcodes: 19
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 6 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

The Bushtit, with few natural predators, flourishes in its natural habitat and has no need for extensive preservation. (Fisher, 2000)

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

As a song bird, the Bushtit is favored on the west coast of the North American continent for its enjoyable song. Since their diet includes insects, they eat certain insects that could be pests to humans. (eNature.com, 2000)