Found in the Clutter – Black-crested Titmouse

Another interesting photo found in the clutter of my file system…

The Black-crested Titmouse is a close relative of the Tufted Titmouse that frequents my feeders here in Massachusetts. This one was photographed in Rockport Texas in February 2019. It seems to have picked up a bad habit but was just exploring the cigarette receptacle since it resembles a hole in tree. It certainly wasn’t a nesting location!

Black-crested Titmice are a resident of central and southern Texas, as well as northeastern Mexico. Their range abuts that of the Tufted Titmouse which covers the eastern United States. The two species can, and often do, hybridize.