- Poecile sclateri
Identification
L. 13cm
- Black cap
- White cheeks
- Short black bill
- Grey back and flanks
- Paler greyish underparts
- Whitish band below bib
- Extends down the center of the belly
Distribution
Mexico and southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Taxonomy
Often, it is still placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships (Gill et al., 2005). The American Ornithologists' Union has been treating Poecile as distinct genus for some time already.
Polytypic. Consists of four subspecies.
Habitat
Wooded highlands.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is constructed by the female and consists of grasses, moss, strips of bark, and is lined with animal fur. 5 - 8 ovate white eggs, marked with fine reddish brown spots, are laid and are incubated for 11 to 14 days by the female. The young fledge in 18 to 21 days.
