The subspecies P. m. melanotis was previously considered as a separate species due to their black ears.[10]
Description
With a length of 4.3 inches and a weight of 0.18-0.21 ounces, the American Bushtit is one of the smallest passerines in North America. It is mostly gray-brown in color, with a large head, short neck, long tail, and small, stubby beak. Moreover, bushtits have different characteristics based on their sex and habitats. The male has dark brown to black eyes while the adult female has yellow eyes. Additionally, bushtits who stay near the coast tend to have a brown "cap" or "crowns," while those further inland have a brown "mask" on their faces.[citation needed]
The subspecies (P. m. melanotis) can be recognized from its dark ear patch, called the
Mexican border, mainly in Texas. None of the bushtits in that location with the black ear patch are adult females; the majority of them are juvenile males with one or two dark lines on their faces rather than a whole patch.[citation needed] Only in the northeastern highlands Mexican highlands does the black-eared variant become more prevalent farther south; all males have a full black ear patch, and even mature females have a black arc covering their eyes and typically a black line across them.[11]
Identifications
Identification
Description
Male (Pacific)
Tiny with a chubby appearance, large head, a lengthy tail, and a compact bill. Their feathers are predominantly plain shades of brown and gray, though the specific plumage colors differ based on their geographic location.
Male (Interior)
Tiny with a long tail and short bill. They display a lighter shade of gray with gray crowns and tan cheeks, whereas those residing near the coast exhibit brown crowns.
Male (Melanotis group)
Males in southwest Texas to Mexico have a black mask and display a shade of brown. The mask color tends to get darker as a bushtit moves further south.
Female (Pacific)
Tiny like a ping-pong ball with long tail and pale eyes.
Female (Interior)
They display grayer crowns and brown cheeks with pale eyes.
Female (Melanotis group)
Females in southwest Texas to Mexico have a brown mask and display a shade of light brown. The mask color tends to become darker as a bushtit moves further south.