One of the smallest birds found in North America, the American bushtit or simply bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) is the only species placed in the genus Psaltriparus and the only species in the family Aegithalidae that is found in the New World. A tiny, drab, bird with light ticking and lisping callnotes, it is common in woods and mountains of the west, but often inconspicuous. The Bushtit is the only species of long-tailed tit in North America – about half its four-inch length is made up by their long tail. Look into a Bushtit’s eyes to tell if it is a male or female. In an adult female the iris is light (cream, yellow, or white) and in the males it is black.
