Yep--they were officially split in 2002 or so, so if you've been down to Black-crested habitat, you've got a lifer!
According to the Birds of North America Black-crested Titmouse entry: Recent evidence from DNA-DNA hybridization (Slikas et al. 1996<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib072>) raised to full generic status the subgenera *Baeolophus* (New World titmice) and *Poecile* (chickadees and related Old World tits) of the genus *Parus*, a recommendation adopted by the American Ornithologists’ Union (1997<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib002>). On basis of allozyme (Gill et al. 1989<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib032>) and DNA (Sheldon et al. 1992<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib070>, Slikas et al. 1996<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib072>) data, *Baeolophus* is distantly related to other parids. As currently recognized (American Ornithologists’ Union 1998<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib003>), *Baeolophus* is comprised of five species: the closely related Tufted and Black-crested Titmice, the closely related Oak (*B. inornatus*) and Juniper (*B. ridgwayi*) Titmice, and the enigmatic Bridled Titmouse (*B. wollweberi*). The Tufted/Black-crested Titmouse clade is sister the to Oak/Juniper Titmouse clade (Gill et al. 1989<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib032>, Sheldon et al. 1992<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib070>, Slikas et al. 1996<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib072> ). The Tufted and Black-crested Titmice, which are sister species, were merged into a single species on the basis of free interbreeding in a narrow, stable contact zone in central Texas (Allen 1907<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib001>, Dixon 1955<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib021>, 1978<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib023>, 1989<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib024>, 1990<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib025>). However, the American Ornithologists’ Union (Banks et al. 2002<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib007>) reevaluated genetic divergence (Braun et al. 1984<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib009>, Avise and Zink 1988<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib005>, Sheldon et al. 1992<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib070>) and evidence that vocalizations differ (Dixon 1955<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib021>, Coldren 1992<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib015>) and concluded both that the taxa should be accorded species status and that assortative mating prevailed in areas of contact. Minor divergence (0.4 to 0.6%) in mitochondrial DNA (Avise and Zink 1988<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib005>, Gill and Slikas 1992<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib031>) implies that the Tufted and Black-crested Titmice have been isolated for ~250,000 yr, a finding that supports Dixon’s (1978<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib023>) contention that the taxa became separated during the late Pleistocene. By contrast, large protein (allozyme) divergence (*D* = 0.06; Gill and Slikas 1992<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/717/articles/species/717/biblio/bib031>) suggests that the taxa are older and exchanged mtDNA through recent hybridization in secondary contact. On Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 3:32 PM, Stan & Molly Jo Miller-Johnson < [email protected]> wrote: > In trying to update my bird list, I've discovered that there is now a > Black-crested Titmouse. Is it the same bird that used to be simply a > version/morph of the Tufted Titmouse? I'd be pretty happy if that was the > case! It would put me at 3 short of 500 life birds... unless as I continue > this "official" count I find more that were split or merged! Never a dull > moment. > > I've looked on the internet in a couple places, but mostly I'm just seeing > that the Black-crested is listed... but I'm not finding an official split > off the Tufted. > > Thanks for any help you can provide! > > Molly Jo Miller > Inver Grove Hts, Dakota Co. > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > -- Laura Erickson Twin Beaks! www.twinbeaks.blogspot.com iTunes podcast of For the BIrds http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=288123640 For the love, understanding, and protection of birds There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
