Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9 in
15 cm - Wingspan
- 9.4 in
24 cm - Weight
- 0.9 oz
26 g
Other Names
- Tufted Titmouse (in part)
- Mésange à plumet noir (French)
Cool Facts
- The Black-crested Titmouse hybridizes with the Tufted Titmouse where their ranges overlap in central Texas. They were considered the same species for a while, but they are distinct genetically and vocally.
- Differences in mitochondrial DNA suggest that the Black-crested Titmouse and Tufted Titmouse diverged about 250,000 years ago.
Habitat
Forest
Forest, woodland, oak-juniper scrub, mesquite, thorn scrub, riparian woodland, and in towns.
Food
Insects
Insects and seeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 4–9 eggs
- Egg Description
- White, finely speckled with reddish dots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Description
Nest in hole in tree. Built of leaves, moss, dried grass, hair, strips of bark, and sometimes feathers. Lined with hair or similar material.
Nest Placement
Cavity
Behavior
Foliage Gleaner
Gleans insects from bark and foliage. Hangs upside down to reach insects. Holds food under feet to peck it.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations appear stable.
Credits
- Grubb, T. C., and V. V. Pravosudov. 1994. Tufted Titmouse (Parus bicolor). In The Birds of North America, No. 86 (A. Poole, and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.