From Opus

Alternative name: Mexican Titmouse

Baeolophus atricristatus

Photo by ponytail1414
Austin, Texas, July 2005

[edit] Identification

15cm

• Rusty flanks
• Gray upperparts
• Whitish belly
  

Male

• Long, dark black crest - usually erect

Female crest is lighter

[edit] Distribution

Southern Texas, Oklahoma, and east-central Mexico.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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)

[edit] Habitat

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

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: peter, peter, peter.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links