The Black-crested Titmouse was once considered a subspecies of the Tufted Titmouse. While similar in overall appearance, the obvious dark crest on the Black-crested Titmouse easily distinguishes it from the Tufted Titmouse. However, in central Texas, the ranges of the two species overlap, and intermediate birds may occur. They can be a quite tame species, and will readily visit feeders in urban and suburban settings with suitable habitat in close proximity.
Habitat:
The Black-crested Titmouse inhabits arid to semi-arid woodlands, particularly favoring oak-juniper brushlands, mesquite forests, and river-side groves in Texas and Mexico. These birds are also frequently found in suburban parks and residential areas with heavy tree cover.
Diet:
Feeds on insects and seeds. They will also feed on berries at times, and often will feed heavily on acorn crops.
Behavior:
Forages by actively climbing and flitting through the canopy of a forest or shrubland, searching for insects. They may hang upside down while they forage and feed.
Nesting:
The nest of a Black-crested Titmouse is built in a cavity in a tree, and consists of moss, leaves, feathers, strips of bark, or animal hair. The female lays between 5 and 8 eggs, and she alone incubates them. When the eggs hatch, the female initially stays with the young while the male gathers food for the family. The female too soon starts to gather food. The young leave the nest after about 18 days.
Interactive eBird Map:
Click to access an interactive eBird map of Black-crested Titmouse sightings
Song:
The song of a Black-crested Titmouse is a series of 5 to 7 slurred phrases delivered in rapid succession. It has a sweet tone and is often higher-pitched and more rapidly delivered than the Tufted Titmouse's song. They also have a distinctive, harsh call note and various scolding and whistling notes.
Click to hear the song of a Black-crested Titmouse
Click to hear an alarm call of a Black-crested Titmouse
Migration:
Considered a permanent resident throughout its normal range.
Similar Species:
Tufted Titmouse . Also, the Juniper Titmouse has a range which barely overlaps the Black-crested Titmouse. The Black-crested Titmouse is distinguished from the Tufted Titmouse by its striking black crest and white forehead, whereas the Tufted has a gray crest and a black forehead. Unlike the Juniper Titmouse, which is uniformly dull gray, the Black-crested Titmouse features a distinct, prominent crest and rusty-tan washed flanks.
Feeders:
Will attend feeders for sunflower seeds and suet.
Conservation Status:
Populations are stable, they are found over a relatively large geographic area, and are common in parts of their range. The IUCN lists the Black-crested Titmouse as a species of "Least Concern".
Photo Information:
Photo taken by Dan Pancamo - December 29th, 2010 - Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.
