Tufted Titmouse

On November 1, 2024 I was in Shawnee Mission Park, a 1,600 acre park with 120 acre lake in Shawnee, Kansas. I spent most of the day there while Judy was in meetings relating to her job in Kansas City, Missouri. There I spotted a lifer, new bird for me, the tufted titmouse. The tufted titmouse has a gray upper body, white front, rust flanks, a black forehead and a gray crest on its head. 

Illustration from Birds of the World. 

Range from Birds of the World. 

Wikipedia notes that it regularly visits bird feeders and its range has expanded, likely due to bird feeders. Two-thirds of its diet is insects. In summer, a major part of its diet is caterpillars. It also consumes berries, nuts, seeds and small fruits. During the fall and winter it hoards food. When visiting a feeder, it will take one seed per visit and store the seeds within 130 feet of the feeder.