Life List 020
Visually documented
Bushtit
Psaltriparus minimus
- First photographed
- July 17, 2026
- First location
- Fountain, Colorado, United States
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
The encounter
Field journal
I first recorded the Bushtit on my life list on January 15, 2026. My first opportunity to photograph the species came during a solo birding outing in Fountain, Colorado, on July 17. A lively flock of Bushtits moved together through a leafy tree, slipping between branches as they traveled through the vegetation. Among the activity, one bird paused on an angled branch long enough for me to make this photograph. That individual became the first visual record of Bushtit for No. 020.
An evolving study
Bushtit portfolio
This collection grows as I return to photograph new behavior, habitat, seasons, and stages of life.
Natural history
Species at a glance
Psaltriparus minimus
Overview
Bushtits are tiny, energetic songbirds that travel through western North America in lively social flocks. They move continually through shrubs and trees, using soft contact calls to remain connected while searching leaves and branches for insects. They frequently forage upside down and may join mixed flocks containing chickadees, kinglets, and warblers. During cold weather, members of a flock sometimes huddle closely together while roosting.
Identification
Bushtits are extremely small birds with rounded bodies, relatively large heads, short stubby bills, and tails that appear long in proportion to the body. Their plumage is primarily gray and brown, although coloration varies geographically. Interior birds, including those found in Colorado, generally have gray crowns and warmer brown or tan cheeks. Adult females have pale eyes, while adult males and juvenile birds have dark eyes.
Range
Bushtits inhabit western North America from southwestern Canada through the western United States and into Mexico. They are generally permanent residents, although birds living in mountain environments may move to lower elevations during colder weather.
Habitat
This species inhabits open woodland, forest edges, scrub, sagebrush, streamside thickets, pinyon-juniper woodland, parks, neighborhoods, and other places containing dense shrubs or small trees. Bushtits adapt readily to suburban environments containing suitable vegetation.
Diet
Bushtits eat primarily tiny insects and spiders collected from leaves, twigs, and bark. Their prey includes scale insects, plant-feeding bugs, beetles, caterpillars, wasps, and ants. They occasionally eat small quantities of plant material, including seeds and fruit.
Order
Family
Regions documented
Behaviors photographed
Photography by Brittany Templin