Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant
Anairetes reguloides
Attractive but rather local little bird of scrubby habitats and dense hedgerows in lowland desert. Mostly stays well hidden, hopping low to high in bushes and trees, tail sometimes held cocked. Sings from atop a bush or other prominent low perch. Readily identified by long spiky crest with a flashy white median patch. Male has solidly black face and throat while female has a whitish face and throat with black streaks. Immature has a plainer face with a whitish throat and shorter crest, but still has a big white flash in crest.
Taxonomy
The pied-crested tit-tyrant's genus, Anairetes, is believed to be most closely related to the genera Mecocerculus and Serpophaga; however, there is no definitive evidence supporting this claim.: 176 Members of the genus Anairetes are known commonly as tit-tyrants because their active foraging behavior and crests are reminiscent of the true tits in the family Paridae.: 177
- Scientific name
- Anairetes reguloides
- Authority
- (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Anairetes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Small seedeater with a conical bill and forked tail. The upperparts are olive-green and the underparts pale yellow. Both sexes have a strong yellow eyebrow. Males have a clean black face patch, and females strong streaking on the underparts. Found in miombo and other moist savanna, forest edge, and cultivation. The song consists of higher introductory notes followed by lower rattling trills. Similar to Western Citril, but has a shorter and less pointed bill. Males also have a slightly larger black face patch that is more cleanly defined, and females have more streaking below.
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