Tufted Titmouse (Parus bicolor)
This sparrow-sized, active mite is often heard before it is seen. Its
spring call of peter, peter, peter is a clear whistle, audible at some
distance.
Insects are a large part of its food, but it takes seed and nuts from a
station quite readily, and is quick to scold if your feeder is empty. It
also responds to "squeaking," the technique bird watchers use to
attract many species.
Preferring wooded areas, it appears in small groups in winter. It
nests in cavities and bird boxes, and being non-migratory, often uses
these same shelters for winter roosts.
The tufted titmouse is restricted to the eastern half of the country, but
it has close relatives in the west.