Black-Crested Titmouse
Baeolophus atricristatus
We once considered these birds a subspecies of the Tufted Titmouse. In 2002, scientists gave this South Texas and North-East Mexican specialty full “species status”. So closely related are these two species, they will occasionally interbreed where their territories overlap.
When I first heard its song, I could not believe so small a bird could have such a loud voice. These birds prefer wooded or thornbush habitats, but are comfortable in urbanized areas too. They behave as all titmice do at feeders, snatching a seed and retreating to a nearby perch to hammer away until releasing the prize.
Despite the limited range of these birds, scientists have assigned three subspecies of Black-Crested Titmouse:
- B. a. atricristatus lives in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and south to Veracruz (Mexico).
- B. a. sennetti is resident in Oklahoma and central Texas.
- B. a. paloduro is resident in the Hill Country of West Texas and northern Mexico.
There are several birds in south Texas found nowhere else in the USA, such as the Ringed Kingfisher, Green Jay, Couch’s Kingbird, Plain Chachalaca, and the list goes on. The Black-Crested Titmouse is one such iconic bird. Though they range a little further north than some of the other birds on the list, Texas hosts nearly every individual member north of the Rio Grande.
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
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Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 15:15 |
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Location:
Nueces River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 450 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D508869-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 15:15 |
|
Location:
Nueces River |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 450 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D508852-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 15:14 |
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Location:
Nueces River |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 450 mm, f/7.1, 1/500 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D508839-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: On my first full day in camp I split my time between chores and chasing birds here at the Triple R RV Resort on the Nueces River near Crystal City Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:11 15:14 |
|
Location:
Nueces River |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 450 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D508801-NuecesRiver |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
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Description: The titmouse paid only a couple of visits while I was standing watch. I found these birds at a well stocked feeder in camp where I stayed in Brownsville Texas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:17 10:48 |
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Location:
Breeze Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D502288-Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: The Black Crested Titmouse is a south Texas specialty. This bird enjoyed the sunflower seeds offered in camp. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 11:34 |
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Location:
Breeze Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D507638-Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: The Black Crested Titmouse is a south Texas specialty. This bird enjoyed the sunflower seeds offered in camp. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 11:34 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D507668-Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
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Description: I missed meeting the birds on my first stop here in the spring of 2020. Less than two miles south of the small town of Quemado Texas is a roadside rest stop, or picnic area, as Texas calls them, where I had a couple of first meetings with bird species in March 2020 on my way to Brownsville Texas. My winter visit in January 2021 had some nice surprises for me as well. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:11 11:15 |
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Location:
Roadside Stop |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X9699-Quemado-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
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Description: Titmice take their neighborhood watch roles seriously. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:41 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X5822-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Titmice take their neighborhood watch roles seriously. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 8:55 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X5315-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Like little kleptomaniacs, these birds swoop in to snatch a single seed, then fly off to release it from the hull, only to return for a repeat visit. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 10:24 |
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Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D509498-EsteroLlano |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Where birds are fed seeds in southern Texas, it's likely these titmice will find it. On my first visit to Texas last spring, the pandemic of 2020 caused the Sabal Palm Sanctuary to close its doors. It took until this Monday in January for me to manage my first visit here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:18 8:01 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/60 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X1466-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Like little kleptomaniacs, these birds swoop in to snatch a single seed, then fly off to release it from the hull, only to return for a repeat visit. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 10:20 |
|
Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 340 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D509393-EsteroLlano |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Seed bandit at large. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:38 |
|
Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X5800-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Titmice here were skittish, like titmice everywhere I’ve seen them in Texas. I returned to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park Friday, three days after my first brief visit last Tuesday, when cold weather had a firm grip on most live forms. With my repaired bicycle under me, I explored all the paths the park would allow and spent a lovely day capturing wildlife images. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:19 14:03 |
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Location:
Bentsen RGV State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X3647-Bentsen-RGV-SP |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Titmice here were skittish, like titmice everywhere I’ve seen them in Texas. I returned to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park Friday, three days after my first brief visit last Tuesday, when cold weather had a firm grip on most live forms. With my repaired bicycle under me, I explored all the paths the park would allow and spent a lovely day capturing wildlife images. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:19 14:03 |
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Location:
Bentsen RGV State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X3637-Bentsen-RGV-SP |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Titmice here were skittish, like titmice everywhere I’ve seen them in Texas. I returned to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park Friday, three days after my first brief visit last Tuesday, when cold weather had a firm grip on most live forms. With my repaired bicycle under me, I explored all the paths the park would allow and spent a lovely day capturing wildlife images. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:19 14:04 |
|
Location:
Bentsen RGV State Park |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X3676-Bentsen-RGV-SP |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
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Description: Half-way to the summit of the Davis Mountains, I stopped for a view and met these birds. It took me five days to putt my way out of Texas. I stopped along the road a few times to visit the birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:13 11:19 |
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Location:
TX-118 Roadside Park Scenic Over |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X8806_DavisMountains |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Crested Titmouse(Baeolophus atricristatus) |
|
Description: Half-way to the summit of the Davis Mountains, I stopped for a view and met these birds. It took me five days to putt my way out of Texas. I stopped along the road a few times to visit the birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:13 11:21 |
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Location:
TX-118 Roadside Park Scenic Over |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3000 |
File Name: BlackCrestedTitmouse_D5X8838_DavisMountains |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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