Black-crested Tit-Tyrant Anairetes nigrocristatus Scientific name definitions

The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is found only in southernmost Ecuador and in northern Peru, where it inhabits montane scrubby habitats and Polylepis woodland at 2000–4200 m. It is the largest of its genus, and one of the boldest marked. The most notable feature is the tall, upstanding, spiky-feathered crest, and the black head, other than the white nape patch. Other than the black wings with two white wing bars, and the black white-sided tail, the rest of the bird’s plumage is boldly streaked black and white, with an obvious and distinctive red bill. Generally rather local, but sometimes common, especially in Peru, the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is usually found alone or in small groups, and occasionally joins mixed-species flocks.

13 cm. Largest and most boldly marked tit-tyrant. Male has central crown feathers greatly elongated into thin, bifurcated crest overlying extensive white crown and nape patch; forehead, entire face and chin black; upperparts black, narrowly streaked white; wings black, wing-coverts broadly tipped white (two bold wingbars), secondaries boldly edged white except at base, white broadest on innermost remiges; tail feathers black, broadly tipped white, white broadest (11–18 mm) on outermost pair, which also has outer web white; throat, breast and flanks streaked black and white, belly and undertail-coverts yellowish-white; iris dark brown; bill bright orange, tip blackish; legs black. Female is similar to male, but crest shorter, front of head duskier black, remaining black-and-white pattern muted into dusky and whitish, bill mainly black, yellow-orange only at base of lower mandible. Juvenile has crest even shorter, crown dusky, back diffusely streaked blackish and pale olivaceous, buffy lores and partial eyering, underparts dirty white, obscurely streaked dark brown across breast, bill dark with pinkish base of lower mandible.

Extreme S Ecuador (S Loja) and N Peru (Cajamarca S to E Ancash and W Huánuco).