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Black-crested Titmouse - BirdForum Opus

Photo by ponytail1414
Austin, Texas, July 2005

Alternative name: Mexican Titmouse

Baeolophus atricristatus

Identification

B. a. sennetti
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Cancon, Texas, USA, 14 April 2021

15cm

  • Rusty flanks
  • Gray upperparts
  • Whitish belly

Male

  • Long, dark black crest - usually erect

Female crest is lighter

Distribution

Southern Texas, Oklahoma, and east-central Mexico.

Taxonomy

Some authorities consider this taxon to be a part of Tufted Titmouse.

In the past, some authorities have placed this species in genus Parus.

Subspecies[1]

There are 3 subspecies:

  • B. a. paloduro:
  • Texas panhandle and south-western Oklahoma; south-western Texas and north-western Coahuila
  • B. a. sennetti:
  • Central and southern Texas (south to Brooks County, west to Terrell County)
  • B. a. atricristatus:
  • Southern Texas and north-eastern Mexico (north-eastern Coahuila and Tamaulipas to southern Veracruz)

Habitat

Fairly common in a variety of wood and scrub habitats, including gardens

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes berries, nuts, spiders, insects, and insect eggs.

Breeding

It nests in tree cavities, telephone poles, fence posts, and bird boxes. The eggs are white with reddish-brown spots, usually 4-7 in the clutch.

Vocalisation

Call: peter, peter, peter.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Lepage D. (2021) [Avibase - https://avibase.ca/66698D9B ]. Retrieved 2 May 2021
  3. Wikipedia
  4. BF Member observations

Recommended Citation

External Links

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