The Black-crested Titmouse or the Mexican Titmouse was once considered the same species as the Tufted Titmouse. However, they were officially recognized as separate species in 2002.
Black-crested Titmice are aptly named. Their black crests are obvious and make them easily identifiable. They have white faces, gray upperparts, and whitish underparts. They have rust-brown sides but sometimes they’re not visible.
Female Titmice look the same as males but they’re smaller and their crests are not as dark. Juveniles hardly have any obvious crests at all.
- Baeolophus atricristatus
- Length: 4 – 5.25 in (10- 13 cm)
- Weight: 0.4 oz (11 g)
- Wingspan: 7 – 8 in (18 – 20 cm)
Range
Black-crested Titmouse have a small range in northeastern Mexico and central southern US states.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Black-crested Titmice practically in any habitat with trees. They’re not too picky. Trees can be deciduous, heavy timber, or urban shade trees, as long as they’re in forests and woodlands. They are also adapted to living with humans so you can usually find them in orchards, parks, and suburban areas.
Black-crested Titmice are deliberate foragers and their prey usually includes beetles, moths, flies, and their larvae. They don’t usually hang upside down from branches but they probe bark, particularly those in the inner section of trees and shrubs.
Black-crested Titmouse Call:
Nests
Nests of Black-crested Titmice are most often found in tree cavities or holes twenty feet off the ground. They may reuse woodpecker holes or create their own cavities in telephone poles, fence posts, and tree stumps. Being around humans, they’ve grown accustomed to using nest boxes as well.
The females use feathers, snakeskin, animal fur, moss, grass, leaves, barks and twigs, and even human garbage like toilet paper and cotton to make the nests. They will then lay four to seven eggs which they will incubate for as long as fourteen days.
Fun Fact:
Black-crested Titmice sometimes join mixed flocks when foraging for food and they often lead the groups and alert flockmates to danger by calling intensely.
