Tits and Chickadees (Paridae) - HBW 12

Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

French: Mésange à plumet noir German: Schwarzhäubchenmeise Spanish: Herrerillo Crestinegro

Taxonomy: Parus atricristatus Cassin, 1850, Rio Grande, Texas, USA.
Until recently present genus normally subsumed into a broad Parus, and many authors still prefer that treatment. Forms a superspecies with B. inornatus, B. ridgwayi and B. bicolor. Was until recently treated as conspecific with last of these, and the two hybridize in a narrow zone in C Texas, but they generally differ somewhat in ecology; further study required. Races intergrade widely in overlap zones; proposed race dysleptus in S USA (W Texas) and adjacent N Mexico (S to Sierra del Carmen, in Coahuila) synonymized with paloduro. Birds of race sen.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Parus atricristatus Cassin,1850. Rio Grande, Texas, USA.
Until recently present genus normally subsumed into a broad Parus, and many authors still prefer that treatment. Forms a superspecies with B. inornatus, B. ridgwayi and B. bicolor. Was until recently treated as conspecific with last of these, and the two hybridize in a narrow zone in C Texas, but they generally differ somewhat in ecology; further study required. Races intergrade widely in overlap zones; proposed race dysleptus in S USA (W Texas) and adjacent N Mexico (S to Sierra del Carmen, in Coahuila) synonymized with paloduro. Birds of race sennetti have been referred to using the older names castaneifrons and texensis, but both of these older names appear to be based on hybrids. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • paloduro Stevenson, 1940 - S USA (N Texas, SW Oklahoma), also SW Texas (Trans-Pecos) S to N Mexico (extreme E Chihuahua, NW Coahuila).
  • sennetti Ridgway, 1904 - C & S Texas.
  • atricristatus ( Cassin, 1850) - S Texas (Rio Grande Valley) and NE Mexico.

  • Least Concern
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