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BIRDS OF AMERICA 



BLACK-CRESTED TITMOUSE 



Baeolophus atricristatus atricristatus (Cassin) 



A (), r. Number 73- 



General Description. — Length, 6 inches. Upper 

 parts, gray; under ])arts, grayish-white. Bill, short and 

 stout; wings, long and rounded; tail, shorter than 

 wing, sliglitly rounded ; head, with crest. 



Color. — Forrhcad, dull ii7iiVc, sometimes faintly 

 tinged witli brown ; rest of crown, including crest, 

 black, sharply defined against whitish of forehead ; rest 

 of upper parts, including ed,ges of back of head and 

 the region over eye, plain .gray, strongly washed with 

 olive, except over the eye where the gray is paler, 

 gradually fading into still paler gray on ear region and 

 sides of neck, and this fading into white or grayish 



white on cheek region ; under parts, grayish-white 

 hecijniing clearer buffy-white posteriorly, the sides and 

 flanks, pale cinnamon-rufous; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: In hollows of trees, old 

 Woodpecker holes, or deep cracks of tree trunks ; com- 

 posed of grasses, fine inner bark, feathers, moss, and 

 wool, and usually pieces of snake skin. Eggs: 5 or 6. 

 clear white with small chestnut spots sparingly scattered 

 over entire surface. 



Distribution. — Rio Grande valley, and Mexican 

 States of Coahuila. Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, San Luis 

 Potosi. and Vera Cruz (highlands). 



The Black-crested Titmouse is one of the many 

 birds that hirk chiefly near the southwestern 

 border, and remain unknown to American ob- 

 servers except the comparatively few who see 

 them in that region. 



The sharply-defined, black crest gives the bird 

 a clever and rather dandified appearance, and 

 he has the lively manner and cheerful dispo- 



sition of his well-loved relative, the Chickadee of 

 the Eastern States. The bird occurs very com- 

 monly in the Chisos and Davis mountains. 



Sennett's Titmotise (Bcrolophiis atricristatus 

 scnnctti) is very similar to the Black-crested; he 

 is decidedly larger and his upper parts are much 

 clearer gray with very little, if any, of the olive 

 tinge. He lives in central Texas. 



BRIDLED TITMOUSE 



Baeolophus v^^ollweberi ( Bonaparte) 



Other Name. — Wollweher's Titmouse. 



General Description. — Length, 5 inches. Upper 

 parts, deep olive-.gray and black; under parts, pale 

 olive-gray and black. Bill, short and stout ; wings, long 

 and rounded ; tail, shorter than wing, slightly rounded ; 

 head, with crest. 



Color. — Crown, including crest, black, with a large 

 central patch of deep gray coverin,g whole crown; over 

 the eyes a broad and sharply defined stripe of white 

 extending posteriorly to beneath hind part of crest, 

 where it joins with a broad white band across side of 

 neck; back of the eye a streak of black, broader pos- 

 teriorly, where it joins with a black band across ter- 

 minal portion of ear region ; rest of ear region, together 



with the cheek, white ; a black spot or short streak at 

 front angle of eye; chin and throat, uniform black, 

 forming a conspicuous patch with sharply defined rear 

 outline; upper parts (except as described), plain deep 

 olive-gray, more strongly tinged with olive posteriorly ; 

 under parts of body, pale olive-gray, passing into pale 

 olive-buffy on abdomen and under tail-coverts ; iris, 

 brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: In natural tree cavities, 

 three to six feet up ; composed of cottonwood down and 

 fern fronds. EcGS : S to 7. plain wliite. 



Distribution. — Mountains of southern Arizona and 

 southern New Mexico and south through Mexico to 

 Guerrero. Oaxaca, and Vera Cruz. 



The Bridled Titmouse differs radically in ap- 

 pearance from the Black-crest, and notably in 

 the curious markings abotit the head and throat, 

 which suggest a bridle. In manners and habits 

 however, and especially in gregariousness ( ex- 



cepting during the breeding season), it resembles 

 the other members of its family, though the little 

 companies of twenty or more are less noisy and 

 perhaps less playful than their cousins, the Chick- 

 adees. 



