General

Black-crested Titmouse: Large titmouse with gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, and rust-brown flanks. Head has black cap and crest, pale gray face, and pale eye-ring. Wings and tail are gray. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller.

Range and Habitat

Black-crested Titmouse: Native resident to central and southern Texas, extreme southern Oklahoma, the Rio Grande River Valley, and east-central Mexico. Common in a variety of wooded habitats: deciduous, heavy timber or urban shade trees. Prefers to nest in cavities in trees, telephone poles, fence posts and bird boxes.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-crested Titmouse: Four to eight brown spotted, white eggs are laid in a natural cavity, bird box, or woodpecker hole lined with bark, leaves, soft grass, moss, snakeskin, and bits of animal fur. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-crested Titmouse: Eats insects, spiders, snails, various berries, acorns, and seeds. Forages in trees, sometimes upside down; often in mixed species flocks

Readily Eats

Suet, Nuts, Sunflower

Vocalization

Black-crested Titmouse: Song is a bold, high-pitched, whistled "peter, peter; peter" or "peto,peto,peto." Call varies from high-pitched, thin squeaky notes to low, harsh, fussy scolding notes.

Similar Species

Black-crested Titmouse: Tufted Titmouse, Juniper Titmouse, and Oak Titmouse lack black crest. Bridled Titmouse has black mask and throat.