Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes reguloides)

Identification & Behavior:~12 cm (4.7 in). The Pied-crested Tit-tyrant has white underparts broadly streaked with black. The upperparts are streaked with black and white. The male has a black head with two horn-like leading black feathers and a white crown patch. The female has a finely streaked head, a wispy black crest, and reduced white crown patch. The tail is mostly black with white webbing on the outer tail feathers. The juvenile is light brown finely streaked with black. It appears to be associated with semi-open woodlands and surrounding scrub. It is very similar to the Black-crested Tit-tyrant but is distinguished by smaller size, a crest with horn-like feathers, and by ranging at lower elevations at the limited area these species may overlap. It is sympatric and uses similar habitats as those used by the Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant which is overall grayer, has an orange base of the bill and most of the mandible, and has the back/mantle gray faintly streaked with dusky.

Status: The Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant is uncommon in Andean and coastal scrub on the west slope of the Andes at elevations ranging from near sea level up to 4000 m. It also occurs in Ch.

Name in Spanish: Torito de Cresta Pintada.

Sub-species: Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes reguloides albiventris), (Chapman), 1924.  WC Peru (Ancash S to Ica and W Ayacucho; single specimen from Apurimac).
(Anairetes reguloides reguloides), (d’Orbigny and Lafresnaye), 1837.  SW Peru (S Ayacucho S to Tacna) and extreme NW Chile (Arica).

Meaning of Name: Anairetes: Gr. anairetes= destroyer. reguloides: L. regulus= prince, kinglet and oides= resembling.

See more of the Family Tyrannidae