Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
Black-crested Titmice like it hot – at least that’s how it seems when comparing their range to their cousins, the Tufted Titmouse, who occupy the entirety of the eastern half of the United States. Tufted and Black-crested Titmice diverged around 250,000 years ago, but often hybridize here in Central Texas where their ranges overlap. They are both small-ish songbirds with a non-descript gray back, lighter belly and trendy fauxhawk. The most notable distinction between the species is that trademark black crest jutting up from the foreheads of the aptly named Black-crested Titmouse- while the Tufted sports a sleek silvery fauxhawk, matching the rest of their body.
Black-crested Titmice feel at home in many parts of South and Central Texas – foraging on the forest floor in Oak Woodlands, hopping from branch to branch in Mesquite arroyos, or nesting in cavities in the Highland Pines. Their diet is varied- insects, berries, fruits, and snails – but they also have a taste for caterpillars in the summer. When the pickings get slim, they are apt to stow food away like their cousins the Chickadees. Their cautious nature has served them well, making them ubiquitous – it’s unlikely you’d walk through any woods here and not hear or see one.
They also are frequent visitors to bird feeders in this part of the state. And as most folks with bird feeders know, black sunflower seeds are a favorite. As a result, sunflowers are prone to popping up all over the yard (and in our case, every crack and crevice within our deck as well). But in early spring, I noticed a small grove of sunflowers sprouting up in one corner of our yard that was very far from both our feeder and from the sunflowers that spread their own seeds last summer. After paying attention for a few days, I noticed that a Black-Crested Titmouse was responsible for this dispersal.
All birds are ‘optimal foragers’ in their own way. Optimal foraging theorizes that birds will modify their foraging behavior in a way that maximizes benefit while minimizing risk; in other words, birds are trying to eat and not get eaten at the same time. For Titmice, optimal foraging means conducting a thorough and split-second analysis when presented with multiple seed offerings- judging the weight, density, and caloric value of each. Heavier, larger seeds mean they are more difficult to transport and break apart – and in a world where a great many other creatures would like to eat you for breakfast or steal your food, these risks must be calculated.
Titmice also have a funny habit of not actually eating at bird feeders like other songbirds. They prefer to sort through their buffet until they’ve made their choice, and fly away with it, eating in a more inconspicuous spot (not unlike the guy who always has to face the exit in any given restaurant). When they feel safe enough, they hold the seeds between their toes and use their bill to hammer and pry them open. This is exactly what I witnessed one morning while sipping my coffee on the porch – the mysteriously placed sunflower patch revealing the Titmice’s preferred booth at the restaurant that is our backyard.
Compiled by Abby West. Photo courtesy of Nate Chappell.
Sources include All About Birds, National Audubon, and What It’s Like to be a Bird by David Allen Sibley.