BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Tufted Titmouse

ParidaeForest birdsBaeolophus bicolor

Tufted Titmouse has increased: up 36% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+36%Since 1968TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
2,230RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
58Years SurveyedYears surveyedNumber of years with at least one standard-protocol run in this geography. A longer record makes the trend more reliable.Full methodology →

About the Tufted Titmouse

A small, crested gray songbird of eastern woods and feeders, the Tufted Titmouse is an active, vocal year-round resident.

Size
5.5–6.5 in long, about 0.7 oz (14–16 cm, 21 g)
Habitat
Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
Diet
Insects and spiders, plus seeds, nuts and berries; caches food.
Range
Recorded on 2,230 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 35 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family
Paridae · Forest birds
Conservation
Least Concern

Notable Tufted Titmouse TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

No notable trend signals for Tufted Titmouse. See the full index history below.

Tufted Titmouse Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Tufted Titmouse is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 7.7 (95% range 6.4–8.9). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±4.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+3%Change by 2029TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
7.7Projected 2029 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
6.4–8.995% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±4.1%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, Tufted Titmouse is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 7.7 (95% range 6.4–8.9). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±4.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20257.46.28.7
20267.56.28.7
20277.56.38.8
20287.66.38.9
20297.76.48.9

Where the Tufted Titmouse Is Detected

BBS routes recording Tufted Titmouse, sized by most recent count.

Tufted Titmouse Population Trend by State

Tufted Titmouse population trend by state.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Alabama+114%1968109
Arkansas+82%196962
Connecticut+358%196820
Delaware+97%196817
Florida+129%1968102
Georgia+222%1968111
Illinois+154%1968100
Indiana-5%196868
Iowa-65%196929
Kansas+281%196941
Kentucky-12%196864
Louisiana+130%196994
Maine214×198437
Maryland+113%196876
Massachusetts113×197032
Michigan+314%196871
Minnesota-54%19706
Mississippi+214%196874
Missouri+66%196994
Nebraska+27%19699
New Hampshire203×197822
New Jersey+114%196841
New York24×1968105
North Carolina+97%1968112
Ohio+3%196889
Oklahoma+74%196964
Pennsylvania+137%1968136
Rhode Island35×19716
South Carolina+273%196851
Tennessee+71%196855
Texas+46%1969110
Vermont48×198624
Virginia+76%196888
West Virginia+70%196863
Wisconsin+130%196848

Tufted Titmouse Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Tufted Titmouse population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Prairie Potholes-77%19708
Boreal Hardwood Transition+158%197225
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain+369%196877
Atlantic Northern Forest108×197495
Central Mixed Grass Prairie+240%196958
Edwards Plateau-78%19727
Oaks and Prairies+77%196963
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie+29%1968256
Prairie Hardwood Transition+190%1968123
Central Hardwoods+33%1968166
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas+68%1969110
Mississippi Alluvial Valley+123%196872
Southeastern Coastal Plain+128%1968346
Appalachian Mountains+97%1968404
Piedmont+161%1968169
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast+168%1968161
Peninsular Florida+142%196857
Gulf Coastal Prairie-42%196930

Tufted Titmouse Conservation Status

Least Concern

The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 36% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.