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There is an area in central Texas where an odd form of the Tufted Titmouse occurs. These birds show
the typical gray crest of the Tufted, but have a bright rufous forehead. I have seen this variety mainly in
Gonzales Co., Texas, but they are known to occur other nearby counties as well. Shown below is a
shot of a Gonzales Co., Tufted Titmouse. The shot below was a digital capture with a Canon EOS
D60 and EF 600 mm F/4L IS lens. The bird was photographed in Gonzales Co., Texas in January,
2003. Note the rufous patch above the bill on the bird, very unlike the typical Tufted Titmouse seen
elsewhere in east Texas or the eastern U.S.
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The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) occurs across most of the eastern United States west to the Great Plains. Until the 1970s there were two species recognized, the Tufted Titmouse and the Black-crested Titmouse. From the 1970s until 2002 these two species were "lumped" into just the Tufted Titmouse, but then in 2002 they were again split, so once more we have both species. The "normal" Tufted Titmouse, such as the bird shown at the left, is widespread across all of Eastern North America. It has a gray crest and a black forehead. This was a digital shot in Bastrop Co., Texas, in November, 2005, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender. The Black-crested Titmouse, restricted to central and west Texas and Mexico, has a black crest and a pale or sometimes buffy forehead.
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