At 03:26 PM 6/1/2005, PToomeyJr wrote:
>... In the
>AOU 43rd supplement change dated September 2002 the split the Black-crested
>Titmouse from the Tufted. It is mentioned on page 898 and elsewhere.
>Therefore it is once again an additional species. If you have seen it in
>Texas you likely have one more bird for your life list. ...

You probably know this, but both occur in Texas and are fairly common
within their ranges, or at least they were when I lived there up through
the mid-80s. At that time, there was a distinct dividing line between the
two that ran right down the edge of the Edwards Plateau. It was so
distinct that it ran down the west side of Austin, and you would see tufted
and no black-crested east of the line. West of the line, you would see
black-crested and not a single tufted. It was one of the little quirks of
birding in Austin.

Greg Lasley has photos of both on his web site, including an unusual form
of tufted with a bright rufous forehead that seems to occur only in
Gonzales County, Texas. http://www.greglasley.net/tutitmouse.html

Mary Ann Chapman
Seattle