Black-crested Titmice in Texas

Black-crested Titmouses live in Texas all year. Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward acorns and pecans.

Humid subtropical in the east and along the Gulf, semi-arid to arid in the west; long, hot summers and short, mild winters over most of the state.

Across Texas, black-crested titmice typically nest from February–June. Nest site: cavity or nest box. Females lay 4–7 eggs, incubate for 12–14 days, and young leave the nest after 15–18 days.

Afternoon highs regularly exceed 95°F — nest boxes need shade or light-colored, ventilated construction, and water matters as much as food.

• Have boxes cleaned and mounted before January — black-crested titmice begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
• Use a 1 1/4 in entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–15 ft.
• Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
• Clean out old nests after each brood and again after June.

Of the regional native plants we track for Texas, these 8 provide food or cover black-crested titmice use:

Replaces Tufted Titmouse in central and south Texas; the two hybridize where they meet.

• Best foods: Sunflower, Suet, Peanuts.
• In Texas's winter: Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold.

Full diet breakdown for black-crested titmice · Best feeder for black-crested titmice