ML194536701

Observation details

On private property. Black immediately above forehead with rest of crest entirely gray. I suppose may be dismissed as hybrid due to location, regardless of plumage, but plumage sure looked good for Tufted to me. Update: can't find any reason to call this a hybrid, honestly. Curry & Patten (2014) use an index to distinguish between TUTI, BCTI & hybrids to map the hybrid zone. Using their index, this seems a pretty clear TUTI (0 and 0 on both crest and forehead scores): "Color interpretation of Dixon's hybrid index, based on black-and-white illustrations in Dixon (1955). Crest values: 0  =  Gray, similar color as neck and back; 1  =  Dark gray, obviously different from neck and back although color may blend at edges; 2  =  Dull black or very dark gray, blackish color can blend at edges; 3  =  Shiny black or black crest with crisply defined border, may extend down back of crest into back of neck. Forehead values: 0  =  Black or only small amounts of brown at the edge of the forehead; 1  =  Dark chestnut or dark brown; 2  =  Light brown or chestnut color that is distinct from facial color; 3  =  White or pale color that blends into facial area, not a distinct patch of color." Update 2: I reached out to one of the authors of the above mentioned paper and was told that this seemed like a good candidate for a TUTI, and agreeing with my index rating - with the caveat that hybrids can never really 100% be ruled out based on plumage alone. Another titmouse researcher in the region (R. Rylander) agreed that this is an extremely unusual individual, and thought it should be marked TUTI - even if it is partly hybrid - to note its extreme plumage divergence from all hybrids they have encountered in the region.