The Tits are a diverse group of small passerine birds which belong to the order Passiformes. The family Paridae includes Tits (sometimes called Chickadees), which are found in most continents except Australia, Greenland, and South America.
These Tits are all diminutive, measuring between 10 and 15 cm, and possess small but sturdy beaks. A few of them sport crests on their heads and have a varied diet of seeds and insects. Moreover, these birds have an appetite for other invertebrates, particularly fondly for small defoliating caterpillars.
One distinct characteristic of their foraging technique is hanging, which involves scrutinising a branch or twig and its foliage from all angles while suspended upside down to feed.
They are noisy, very active and social birds. They are very territorial, especially during breeding season. They are also known for their intelligence. Great Tits and Blue Tits in Britain learned how to open foil milk bottle caps to get to the cream.
Tit birds are hole-nesting birds that usually build their nests in trees, but some species have adapted to make their nests on the ground. The number of eggs laid by tit birds varies depending on the species, with a range of three to nineteen eggs. The eggs are speckled white.
Each species has its unique allure. Join us as we delve into the captivating world of these delightful woodland birds, exploring their habits, habitats, and the crucial role they play in our ecosystems.
1. Genus Baeolophus
All these species are native to North America. The name Baeolophus translates into small crested in ancient Greek. We are going to look at all five species belonging to this Genus.
1.1 Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
The Black-crested Titmouse, also known as the Mexican Titmouse, can grow to an average of 15cm long.
Description. Black-crested Titmouses have grey upperparts, rusty flanks, and whitish underparts. The males have long, dark crests; the female’s crests are not as dark.
Similar to the Tufted Titmouse. Tufted Titmouses have grey faces and crests. Some consider the Black-crested Titmouse to be a subspecies of the Tufted Titmouse.
Distribution: It is native to southern Texas, Oklahoma, and east-central Mexico.
1.2 Bridled Titmouse (Baeolophus wollweberi)
The Bridled Titmouse grows up to an average of 12cm long. It is the only species of Titmice to have cooperative breeding.
Description. Bridled Titmouse are grey all over. They have boldly striped, black-on-white faces with a sweeping black line on the crest, a line through the eye and bordering the cheek. They have black patches on the nape and throat.
Distribution: It is native to Arizona, New Mexico, and Mostly Mexico.
1.3 Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi)
Description: Both males and females have a grey head, crest, and back, with a lighter grey lower body.
The Oak Titmouse and Juniper Titmouse are almost identical in appearance, but their range and voice differ. The Oak Titmouse has a brown back.
Distribution: Juniper Titmice are found in the Great Basin, southeastern Oregon, central Colorado, eastern Mojave Desert, central Arizona, west Texas, and northeastern Sonora, Mexico.
1.4 Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus)
Description: Both sexes are similar and are grey all round with browner upper bodies. Their crests are also brown-tinged.
Distribution: Juniper Titmice are found on the Pacific slope, from southern Oregon to Baja California, surrounding the central San Joaquin Valley.
1.5 Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
Description: The Tufted Titmouse have silvery grey tops and white undersides and a rustic-coloured wash down their flanks, and the Tufted Titmouse have black patches above their bills.
Tufted Titmouse and Black-crested Titmouse are similar, but the former has a black-edged crest and lacks a black patch above the bill.
Distribution: Tufted Titmice are native to the Ohio and Mississippi River basins but are starting to spread into Ontario and Quebec, Canada.
2. Genus Cephalopyrus
There is only one species under this Genus.
2.1 Fire-capped Tit (Cepphalopyrus flammiceps)
The Fire-capped Tits are small passerine birds that grow to only 10cm. They weigh up to 7g.
Description:
- In the breeding season, male birds have an orange-scarlet crest, golden-yellow eyebrows and cheeks, orange and scarlet chin, pale yellow belly, and white-tipped feathers.
- In the non-breeding season, male birds have yellowish to dark olive-brown upperparts, crowns, and dark olive-brown tails. The throats are white, and the underparts are yellow and lemon.
- Females are very similar to the non-breeding males with olive, green-grey upperparts.
Distribution: Fire-capped Tits breed in Northern Pakistan, Kashmir, and Western Nepal. They are also found in North-Central India.
3. Genus Cyanistes
The name Cyanistes is derived from the Greek name meaning dark blue. We are going to look at four of these species.
3.1 African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae)
Description: Both sexes are identical, with blue caps, wings, and tails. They have white faces with black masks and black neck rings. Their chests and bodies are yellow.
Distribution: These beautiful birds can be found in Northern Africa, Pantelleria and the Canary Islands.
3.2 Azure Tit (Cyanistes cyanis)
Azures are small birds that grow to about 12cm long. They weigh up to 10g.
Description: They have blue upperparts and white heads, wing bars, underparts, and tail corners. A dark line runs through their eyes.
Distribution: These Azure Tits are found from eastern Poland and Finland through western and southern Russia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, north-western China, Manchuria, and Mongolia.
3.3 Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Description: Eurasian Blue Tits have blue caps, wings, and tails. They also have yellow-green mantles, white faces, black eye masks, and yellowish underparts. Upon closer inspection, there are slight differences between the sexes. Males tend to have more vibrant colouring and darker blue caps.
Similar to: African Blue Tit. The African Blue Tit was once considered a subspecies of the Eurasian Blue Tit, but ranges do not overlap. The African Blue Tit can be distinguished by its darker cap and thicker eye mask/line.
Distribution: The native species are found in Europe, the Middle East, and some parts of North Africa. They are absent in Iceland and Malta.
3.4 Yellow-breasted Tit (Cyanistes flavipectus)
Yellow-breasted Tits are a small bird of approximately 12cm. They weigh up to 10g.
Description: Yellow-breasted Tits are a subspecies of the Azure Tit. They have a white head with a thin black mask running through their eyes. There is a dark patch at the back base of their necks. They have a light blue-grey mantle with darker blue wings with a white line running through them.
Distribution: These Yellow-breasted Tits are found in Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
4. Genus Lophophanes
The name of the genus is derived from the Ancient Greek words for “crest” and “to show”. This genus includes two species: the Crested Tit and the Grey-crested Tit.
4.1 Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
Description: Crested Tits are easy to recognise, as they have erectile crests with a tip that is often recurved and a distinctive black collar. Their bodies are mostly white below with blue-grey wings. Similar to most Tits, they have a very thin black mask around their eyes, but this extends into a “C” shape around their ears. They also have a thick vertical line from their bills to their collars.
Distribution: The CrestedTit is found throughout central and northern Europe, France, the Iberian Peninsula, and parts of England.
4.2 Grey-crested Tit (Lophophanes dichrous)
Description: Grey-crested Tits have grey heads and crests with white collars. Their bodies are creamy-coloured and have grey wings and tails.
Distribution: They are found in the Himalayan foothills and southern-central China.
5. Genus Machlolophus
The word Machlolophus is derived from the classical Greek makhlos, meaning luxuriant, and lophos, meaning crest.
5.1 Himalayan Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys)
Description: Himalayan Black-lored Tit birds have olive-green upperparts and mantles. They have broad black lines running down their otherwise yellow underparts. They have black crests, napes, throats, bold black eye-lines, yellow cheeks, and two white or yellowish wing bars.
The Himalayan Black-lored Tit and the Indian Black-lored Tit were previously considered as one species known as the Black-lored Tit.
Distribution: These species are resident breeders along the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent, including Nepal.
5.2 Indian Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus aplonotus)
Description: The Indian Black-lored Tit birds are characterised by their olive-green upperparts, yellow underparts with a broad black line, black crests, necks, throats, and yellow cheeks. They also have two white or yellowish wing bars.
It’s worth noting that the Himalayan Black-lored Tit and the Indian Black-lored Tit were previously thought to be a single species known as the Black-lored Tit.
Distribution: This species is a resident breeder on the Indian subcontinent.
5.3 White-naped Tit (Machlolophus nuchalis)
Description: White-naped Tits are sometimes called the White-winged Tit. Indian Black-and-White Tits are a unique species of tit found only in India. They are endemic to the country and easily distinguished by their black-and-white colouration.
Glossy black upperparts with white patches on napes and mantles. White cheeks and underparts, with black central bands. Wings have white patches with black bars. Females retain the same basic pattern, with duller black and dingier white.
Distribution: Endemic to India
5.4 Yellow Tit (Machlolophus holsti)
Description: Yellow Tits are endemic to central Taiwan. They have mainly yellow lower parts and black upperparts. They do have white linings to their crests. The females are the same colour except for duller black.
Yellow Tit is classified as Near Threatened by IUCN due to large-scale capture for wild bird trade.
5.5 Yellow-cheeked Tit (Machlolophus spilonotus)
Description: Yellow-cheeked Tits are easily recognisable due to their bright yellow faces and napes, which contrast sharply with their black crests, throats, and breasts. The wings are grey and black with white spots and bars.
Distribution: Yellow-cheeked Tits are bird species native to Asia and can be found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.
6. Genus Melanochlora
Only one species represents these genera.
6.1 Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea)
Description: Sultan Tits have yellow crests, dark bills, black upperparts, and yellow underparts. Both sexes have similar plumage, although the female has greenish-black upperparts and a yellowish throat.
Distribution: Sultan Tits are found in many Asian countries, including China, India, and Thailand.
7. Genus Melaniparus
These Tits are all in Africa and have mostly dark plumage.
7.1 Ashy Tit (Melaniparus cinerascens)
Description: Ashy Tits are large grey tits with black-and-white patterns on their heads and black bibs. They have dark, bluish-grey backs.
Similar to the Grey Tit. The Ashy Tit has much darker underparts.
Distribution: Ashy Tits are a bird species native to Southern Africa, which includes Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
7.2 Carp’s Tit (Melaniparus carpi)
Description: Carp’s Tits are medium-sized birds with mostly black feathers, white wings, and white outer tails. Both sexes have similar appearances, but females are slightly duller and browner.
Similar to the Southern Black Tit but the Carp’s Tits have much whiter on their wings and no white rim on their tails.
Distribution: The Carp’s Tits are found in Namibia and Angola.
7.3 Dusky Tit (Melaniparus funereus)
Dusky tits are relatively small birds that average approximately 15cm long.
Description: Dusky Tits are usually all black, and the females are dark grey. They have red eyes.
Distribution: Dusky Tits inhabit humid forests in central Africa, including Angola, Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Ghana, and Kenya.
7.4 Grey Tit (Melaniparus afer)
Description: Grey Tits are large grey-brown tits with lighter grey bellies, black-and-white head patterns and black bibs.
Similar to:
- Ashy Tit – Ashy Tit have darker underparts than the Grey Tit.
- Stripe-breasted Tit. Grey Tits have white stripes on their heads, while the heads of Stripe-breasted Tits are entirely black.
Distribution: The Grey Tits are found in Lesotho and South Africa.
7.5 Miombo Tit (Melaniparus griseiventris)
Description: Miombo Tits have black, white, and grey patterns, with black bibs that extend as a dark stripe down the centre of the underparts. Their wings have white edgings, and their outer tails are also white.
Distribution: They are found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
7.6 Red-throated Tit (Melaniparus fringillinus)
Description: Red-throated Tits are easily distinguished from other tits as they have rufous faces, collars, and breasts with grey caps and back. Additionally, they have prominent white wing bars on their grey wings.
Distribution: Red-throated Tits are found in Kenya and Tanzania.
7.7 Rufous-bellied Tit (Melaniparus rufiventris)
Description: Rufous-bellied Tits are around 15 cm long with blackheads, wings, and tails, grey upperparts, white fringes on the wings, and rufous underparts. They have yellow eyes as adults.
Distribution: Rufous-bellied Tits are found in central and eastern Africa, ranging from the Republic of the Congo to Mozambique.
7.8 Somali Tit (Melaniparus thruppi)
Somali Tits are the smallest of the African Tits, averaging 11.5cm in length. It only weighs 12g.
Description: Somali Tits are also known as the Acacia Tit. They have glossy blue-black caps, napes, throats, and breast stripes with a large buffy white patch on their cheeks. Their upperparts are grey, with a white spot on their napes. Females have narrower bands than males.
Distribution: The Somali Tit are found from Ethiopia and Somalia south to northeastern Tanzania.
7.9 Southern Black Tit(Melaniparus niger)
Description: Southern Black Tits are large and have blue-black plumage. They have white shoulders, white edgings to the wing feathers, and barred grey-and-white under their tails. The females are more greyish.
Distribution: Southern Black Tits can be found in Southern Africa, which includes South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
7.10 Stripe-breasted Tit (Melaniparus fasciiventer)
Description: Stripe-breasted Tits are characterised by blackheads which extend as a dark stripe down the centre of the chest and belly. They have a grey mantle and lighter grey underparts. Their wings are much darker with white edges, while their black tails have white edges.
Similar to the Grey Tit, Grey Tits can be identified by their white-striped heads, whereas the Stripe-breasted Tits can be identified by their all-black heads.
Distribution: Stripe-breasted Tits are found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
7.11 White-backed Black Tit (Melaniparus leuconotus)
Description: White-backed Black Tits are mostly black with a pale back. Males have a bright white back, females a buff-coloured one.
Distribution: White-backed Black Tits can be found in the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia.
7.12 White-bellied Black Tit (Melaniparus albiventris)
Description: White-bellied Tits are mostly black birds with white bellies and white marks on their wings.
Distribution: White-bellied Tits are found in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
7.13 White-shouldered Black Tit (Melaniparus guineensis)
Description: White-shouldered Black Tits have mainly black plumage, white wing patches and pale eyes.
Similar to the White-winged Black-Tit. White-shouldered Black-Tit has pale eyes; White-winged Black-Tit has dark eyes.
Distribution: White-shouldered Black Tits are found in a belt across Africa from Senegal in the west to Kenya and Ethiopia in the east.
7.14 White-winged Black Tit (Melaniparus leucomelas)
Description: White-winged Black Tits are tits with black plumage and dark eyes.
Similar to White-shouldered Black Tits, the eyes of White-shouldered Tits are pale.
Distribution: White-winged Black Tits are found in central Africa, from Angola in the west to Ethiopia in the east.
8. Genus Parus
The distribution of the Parus genus across different geographical regions distinguishes it from other tit genera. These tits are generally found from Europe across to Asia and including the Northern tips of Africa.
8.1 Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus)
Description: Male and female Cinereous Tits both have a white cheek patch, a grey back, and a white wing bar. They are distinguished by a broad black central line from the throat to the lower belly. This line is widest on the throat and becomes narrower towards the lower belly. Females have narrower central lines on their underparts and are slightly duller in colour overall.
Distribution: The distribution of this species extends from parts of West Asia across South Asia and into Southeast Asia.
8.2 Great Tit (Parus major)
Description: Great Tits have white cheeks, black caps and bibs, and bright yellow underparts. Males have a wider black stripe on their bellies than females. Their upperparts are olive.
Distribution: Great Tits are a common sight in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of North Africa and have a range that extends to the Amur River in the east.
8.3 Green-backed Tit (Parus monticolus)
Description: Green-backed Tits have green backs and blackheads with white cheeks. Their black heads extend down as a thick stripe on their underparts. They have yellow to lime underparts.
Distribution: Green-backed Tits are found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
8.4 Japanese Tit (Parus minor)
Description: Japanese Tits have a flashy white cheek on a black head, a black stripe on a white belly, and grey wings with a hint of green near the shoulder.
Distribution: Japanese Tits are found throughout much of Asia, which includes Japan and the Russian Far East beyond the Amur River, including the Kuril Islands.
9. Genus Periparus
9.1 Black-crested Tit (Periparus melanolophus)
Description: Black-crested Tits have a black head with a white triangular spot on their cheeks. They have grey backs and wings with a rufous patch, light grey underparts, and a rufous vent.
Similar to the:
- Coal Tit. The Coal Tit have white underparts as opposed to the grey of the Black-crested Tits.
- Rufous-vented Tit. Rufous-vented Tits have lighter underparts than Black-crested Tist and also have a slight rufous-vent.
Distribution: Black-crested Tits are found on the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the Himalayas, ranging across Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
9.2 Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
Description: Coal Tits average about 11cm long and have a distinctive grey back, black cap, and white patch at the back of their neck. Their throats are also black with pale underparts.
Similar to Black-crested Tit. The Coal Tit has white underparts as opposed to the grey of the Black-crested Tit.
Distribution: Coal Tits can be found in temperate, humid conifer forests across Europe, the United Kingdom, Northern Africa, and Asia, including Bosnia, Albania, Turkey, Georgia, and Iran.
9.3 Elegant Tit (Periparus elegans)
Description: Elegant Tits have black caps and throats with a yellow patch under their eyes. Their underparts are all yellow. They have a black nape with a yellow spot. Their wings are black with white edgings. The female is duller.
Distribution: The Elegant Tits are endemic to the Philippines.
9.4 Palawan Tit (Periparus amabilis)
Description: Palawan Tits have a black head, throat, and neck, yellow back and underparts, and black-and-white wings and tail. The female has an olive back but is otherwise similar to the male.
Distribution: Palawan Tits are endemic to the Philippines.
Conservation: Palawan Tits are classified as near threatened by the IUCN due to habitat loss, particularly from logging activities in their areas.
9.5 Rufous-naped Tit (Periparus rufonuchalis)
Description: Rufous-naped Tits are small birds with black faces and crests. They have white cheeks, are grey all over, and have a rufous nape that can be hard to see.
Rufous-naped Tits are similar in appearance to Coal Tits, but they lack the white feathers on the wings. In contrast, Rufous-naped Tits are identifiable by their erect crest.
Distribution: Rufous-naped Tits are native to the western Himalayas, but their range includes Parts of India, Pakistan, Turkestan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan.
9.6 Rufous-vented Tit (Periparus rubidiventris)
Description: Rufous-vented Tits have grey upper parts, paler lower parts, black faces with white cheeks, crests, and bibs, and a rufous vent.
Similar to Black-crested Tit. Rufous-vented Tits have lighter underparts than the Black-crested Tits, plus they have rufous vents. Rufous-naped Tits also have more extensive black breasts.
Distribution: Rufous-naped Tits have a large range spanning from the western Himalayas to parts of India, China, Pakistan, Turkestan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan.
9.7 Yellow-bellied Tit (Periparus venustulus) also (Pardaliparus venustulus)
Description: Yellow-bellied Tits have black heads with white cheeks and napes, grey wings, and yellow bellies; females have grey caps, white throats, and duller yellow bellies.
Distribution: The Yellow-breasted Tits are endemic to China.
10. Genus Poecile
10.1 Black-bibbed Tit (Poecile hypermelaenus)
Description: Black-bibbed Tits are named after their wide black bibs that extend over a large area. They have brown backs with black hoods and wide, white stripes across their eyes. Their bellies are lighter in colour than the rest of their bodies.
Distribution: These Black-bibbed Tits are found from central and eastern China to southeast Tibet and western Myanmar.
10.2 Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricappillus)
Description: Black-capped Chickadees have a black cap and bib, white cheeks, soft grey back, and grey wing feathers with white edges. Their underparts are buffy on the sides and white beneath. The cap extends down to just beyond the black eyes, which can make them difficult to see due to their small size.
Similar to
- Carolina Chickadee. Location is the best identifier. The Black-capped Chickadee’s wing feathers have white edges wider than the Carolina Chickadee’s.
- Mexican Chickadee. Their ranges do not overlap.
Distribution: Black-capped Chickadees are native to the northern USA and Canada and are recognised as the state bird of Massachusetts and Maine in the US and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada.
10.3 Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)
Boreal Chickadees are small birds measuring around 14cm and weighing 12g.
Description: Boreal Chickadees have grey-brown feathers, a brown cap, and a greyish tail and wings. Their faces are mostly grey-brown with white on the sides. Their underparts are white with brown on the flanks, and they have black throats. They have dark bills, short wings, and long, notched tails.
Similar to: Grey-headed Chickadee. Grey-headed Chickadees have a greyish brown head; Boreal Chickadees have a brown head. Their ranges overlap only in Alaska and northwest Canada.
Distribution: Boreal Chickadees are found in Canada and the northern United States
10.4 Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
Carolina Chickadees are short birds of about 11cm and weigh 12g.
Description: Carolina Chickadees have black caps and bibs, separated by stark white cheeks. The backs, wings, and tails are soft grey. They have rusty brown flanks.
Similar to:
- Black-capped Chickadee. Location is the best identifier. The black-capped chickadee’s wing feathers have wider white edges and are more conspicuous than the Carolina chickadee’s.
- Mexican Chickadee. Their ranges do not overlap.
10.5 Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
Description: The chestnut-coloured back and flanks of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee are easily distinguished from other chickadees. The amount of chestnut colouring on their sides varies; those in coastal California may have no chestnut on their sides. They have a blackish-brown head with a white face and white underparts.
Distribution: Chestnut-backed Chickadees are found in the United States from New Jersey and Pennsylvania to southern Kansas and south to Florida and Texas.
10.6 Grey-headed Chickadee (Poecile cinctus)
Description: Grey-headed Chickadees have dark greyish-brown heads with white cheeks, brown mantle, blackish wing feathers with pale fringes, and black throats.
Similar to Boreal Chickadee. Grey-headed Chickadees have greyish-brown heads; Boreal Chickadees have brown heads. Their ranges overlap only in Alaska and northwest Canada.
Distribution: Grey-headed Chickadees are widespread resident breeders throughout subarctic Scandinavia, the northern Palearctic, and North America in Alaska and the far northwest of Canada.
10.7 Mexican Chickadee (Poecile sclateri)
Mexican Chickadees are typically 13cm in length and weigh around 10g.
Description: Both male and female Mexican Chickadees have black caps, white cheeks, and short black bills. They have grey backs and flanks and paler greyish underparts.
Similar to Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee. The range of the Mexican Chickadee does not overlap with these other two species.
10.8 Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)
Mountain Chickadees are about 14cm in length.
Description: Both male and female Mountain Chickadees have black caps, black postocular stripes, and white eyebrows. Their backs and flanks are grey, while their underparts are paler grey. They have a short black bill and a black bib.
Distribution: Mountain Chickadees are found in the western United States and Canada, ranging from southern Yukon to California and the Rocky Mountain States of the United States.
10.9 Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
Description: Marsh Tits are a small bird, around 12 cm long and weighing 12 g. They have black crowns, napes, chins, pale cheeks, brown backs, and greyish-brown wings and tails.
They are similar to the Willow Tit, but the latter is usually found more often in conifers. The Marsh Tit has browner upperparts, and its voice can also be used for identification.
Distribution: Marsh Tits can be found throughout temperate Europe and northern Asia.
10.10 Pére David’s Tit (Poecile davidi)
Pére David’sTits are about 12cm long and weigh about 12g.
Description: Pére David’sTits have black heads with white cheeks, dark grey-brown back, wings and tail, and rusty brown underparts.
Distribution: Pére David’sTits are restricted to central China.
10.11 Sichuan Tit (Poecile weigoldicus)
Description: Sichuan Tits are small drab tits with the typical black-head-white-cheek pattern of most tits. Darker-flanked and with a drab bib.
Distribution: Found in central China.
10.12 Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris)
Description: Sombre Tits have black and white heads with grey-brown backs and upper parts. They have extensive bibs and pale bellies and underparts. They have narrow white ear patches.
Distribution: They can be found in Romania, Greece, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.
10.13 Songar Tit (Poecile songarus)
Description: Songar Tits have light brown upperparts; dark brown caps; blackish chins; white cheeks; cinnamon buff underparts.
Similar to: Willow Tit. Songar Tits are the southern counterparts of WiIlow Tits.
Distribution: Found in southeast Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and northern China.
10.14 White-browed Tit (Poecile superciliosus)
White-browed Tits are about 14cm long, weigh approximately 12g.
Description: White-browed Tits have black caps, white supercilium, black eyebrows and chins, rusty-brown cheeks, and breasts.
Similar to Mountain Chickadee. Mountain Chickadees and White-browed Tits both have white superciliums, but their ranges do not overlap.
Distribution: Found in southwestern China.
10.15 Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
Description: Willow Tits are small birds that measure around 11.5cm in length and weigh approximately 11g. They can be identified by their black caps that extend to the back of their necks and small, untidy bibs. Their upper bodies are mid-brown, with whiter cheeks and pale, buff-grey underparts. Their wings have pale panels. Males and females look similar.
Similar to:
- Marsh Tit. Willow Tits are found more often in conifers than the Marsh Tits. Marsh Tits usually have browner upperparts. Voices also can be used for identification.
- Songar Tit. Songar Tits are the southern counterpart of WiIlow Tits.
Distribution: Willow tits have an extremely large range and are found throughout Europe and Asia.
11. Genus Pseudopodoces
There is only one species.
11.1 Ground Tit (Pseudopodoces humilis)
Description: Ground Tits do not resemble any other tits. Ground Tits have dusty brown upperparts; lighter grey-brown underparts; black legs; long down-curved black bills.
Distribution: Found in southwest China and northeast India
12. Genus Sittiparus
12.1 Chestnut-bellied Tit (Sittiparus castaneoventris)
Description: Chestnut-bellied Tits are small birds with black throats, caps, white cheeks, grey upperparts, and chestnut underparts.
Distribution: Endemic to Taiwan
12.2 Varied Tit (Sittiparus varius)
The Varied Tits are approximately 13cm long and weigh on average 17g.
Description: Varied Tits have black crowns, bills, throats, upper breasts, and napes. Their foreheads, faces, and cheeks are white, while their backs, wings, and tails are bluish-grey. Their mantles, lower breasts, bellies, and undertail coverts are chestnut-coloured. A thin, white central line runs from the crown to the nape. Their feet are dark grey.
Distribution: The Varied Tit occurs in the eastern Palearctic in Japan, Korea, and locally in northeastern China and extreme southeastern Russia.
12.3 White-fronted Tit (Sittiparus semilarvatus)
Description: White-fronted Tits have mainly glossy black plumage with a white mark between the eyes and bill. They have a dark, curved bill.
Distribution: White-fronted Tits are endemic to the Philippines.
Conservation: White-fronted Tits are assessed as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss from logging, agricultural conversion, and mining.
13. Genus Sylviparus
There is only one species.
13.1 Yellow-browed Tit (Sylviparus modestus)
Description: Yellow-browed Tits are plain yellowish birds with a weak crest and pale brow, darker above than below.
Distribution: The Yellow-browed Tits are found in the southern Himalayas, Northeast India and southern China, with smaller amounts in Southeast Asia.
14. Genus Aegithalos
Many species of these genera of tits are commonly referred to as bushtits. For instance, the Black-throated Tit is also known as the Black-throated Bushtit.
14.1 Black-browed Tit (Aegithalos iouschistos)
Black-browed Tits are small tits that average 12cm long.
Description: Black-browed Tits are small birds with a round head, grey upper bodies, and buff-coloured lower bodies. They have a thick, semicircular black brow that would resemble a black cap if not for the white stripe running across the top of their head. Additionally, they have a prominent white bib on their chest and rusty orange underparts.
Distribution: Black-browed Tits are found in China, Nepal, and India.
14.2 Black-throated Tit (Aegithalos concinnus)
Black-throated Tits are small passerines, around 10.5cm long and weighing 4-9g.
Description: Black-throated Titshave black throats and black masks around their yellow eyes. They have chestnut caps, breast bands, flanks, and dark grey backs, wings, and tails, with white bellies.
Distribution: Black-throated Tits are found in the foothills of the Himalayas, northern India, northeastern Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hainan Island, and China up to the Yellow River.
14.3 Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus)
Long-tailed Tits are small, averaging 14cm, which includes their 14cm tail.
Description: Long-tailed Tits have mainly black and white plumage, with varying amounts of pink and grey.
Distribution: These Long-tailed Tits are seen in most of Europe right through Asia
14.4 Silver-throated Tit (Aegithalos glaucogularis)
Description: Sooty Tits have dark above and pale below, with a dark grey patch on the throat.
Distribution: The Silver-throated Tit can be found in China.
14.5 Sooty Tit (Aegithalos fuliginosus)
Description: Sooty Tits have brown crowns and yellow eyes. They also have chocolate-brown chests and backs with bright white collars. The overall brownish colouration distinguishes them from similar small tits.
Distribution: The Sooty Tit is endemic to central China.
14.6 White-cheeked Tit (Aegithalos leucogenys)
Description: White-cheeked Tits have black masks and chins, white cheeks, yellow eyes, brown crowns, grey upper bodies, long grey tails, and lower bodies which are brown.
Distribution: White-cheeked Tits are found in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.
14.7 White-throated Tit (Aegithalos niveogularis)
Description: White-throated Tits have small bills, large heads, and long tails. They have white foreheads, throats, half-collars, and dark eyes. They have pinkish-brown lower parts with a brown hind crown and cheeks.
Distribution: White-throated Tits are found in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
15. Genus Leptopoecile
The Tit-Warblers were once considered to be placed in the Sylvidae family, but analysis of mitochondrial DNA placed it with the long-tailed tits. These small birds often stay concealed due to their affinity for dense foliage and discreet, camouflaged plumage.
15.1 Crested Tit-Warbler (Leptopoecile elegans)
Description: Crested Tit-Warblers have blue-green wings, silver caps, rusty cheeks, and rosy, pink flanks. Males have a longer cap and darker cheeks.
Distribution: Crested Tit-Warblers are found in China.
15.2 White-browed Tit-Warbler (Leptopoecile sophiae)
White-browed Tit-Warblers are small, weighing about 7g and are, on average, 9cm long.
Description: Male White-browed Tit-Warblers display vibrant colours with a distinct blue-to-mauve underbelly. Both males and females have a white supercilium, an eyebrow-like marking. The rump and upper tail-coverts are violet-blue. Females are generally less colourful and can be identified by their pale underbelly. In contrast, males have violet-blue underparts and chests.
Additionally, they have a relatively long tail.
Distribution: White-browed Tit-Warblers are found in China.
16. Genus Psaltria
There is only one species under this Genus.
16.1 Pygmy Tit (Psaltria exilis)
Also known as the Pygmy Bushtit, they are the smallest family members, only 8.5cm long on average, and they are the smallest species in Java.
Description: Pygmy Tits are small, grey birds with pale eyes, whitish underparts, and stout, sharp bills.
Distribution: Pygmy Tits are endemic to Indonesia.
17. Genus Psaltriparus
There is only one species under this Genus.
17.1 American Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
American Bushtits are small at just over 10cm and weigh 5.6g.
Description: American Bushtits are mostly grey-brown. They have a large head, short neck, long tail, and small, stubby beak. The male has dark eyes, while the adult female has yellow eyes.
Similar to:
- Blue-grey Gnatcatcher. Bushtits have different colour heads than their backs, while Blue-grey Gnatcatcher’s back matches their heads. Additionally, gnatcatchers have longer bills than the bushtits.
- Oak Titmouse. Oak Titmouses have crests on their heads. Oak Titmouse’s backs are the same colour as their heads, but Bushtit’s heads differ.
Distribution: The range of American Bushtits spans Mexico, the Western US, and Guatemala.
18. Genus Panurus
There is only one species under this Genus.
18.1 Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus)
Description: Bearded Reedling males have cinnamon-brown plumage, long tails, and yellow bills. They have bluish-grey heads, black moustaches running from their eyes, and brown mantles. The females have a brown head and mantle but lack the moustache.
K2Distribution: The Bearded Reedling is found in temperate regions of Europe and Asia, from Spain and the British Isles to Manchuria.
19. Genus Anthoscopus
This genus is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa.
19.1 Grey Penduline-Tit (Anthoscopus caroli)
Grey Penduline-Tits are one of the smallest bird species in Africa, measuring 9cm in length and weighing only 6.5g.
Description: Grey Penduline-Tits upper parts are mostly ashy to slate grey. Their lower bodies are lighter, with a buff colour on their bellies. Tails are dark grey-brown.
Distribution: Grey Penduline Tits are found in various countries in Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Burundi, DRC, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
19.2 Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tit (Anthoscopus musculus)
Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tits are small, measuring 8cm in length.
Description Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tits have grey upper bodies, including their heads and whitish lower bodies.
Distribution: Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tits have an extensive range IN Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
19.3 Southern Penduline-Tit (Anthoscopus minutus)
Southern Penduline-Tits are only 8cm long.
Description: Southern Penduline-Tits have grey backs, whitish underparts, and faintly black-speckled foreheads. They also have sharp bills.
Distribution: Southern Penduline-Tits have an extensive range in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
20. Genus Auriparus
There is only one species in this genus.
20.1 Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)
Verdins are very small birds at 11cm in length.
Description: Verdin birds are primarily grey with a bright yellow head and rufous shoulder patch, which is the lesser coverts. They have a sharply pointed beak.
Distribution: Verdins are found in the Southwestern United States.
21. Genus Remiz
21.1 Chinese Penduline-Tit (Remiz consobrinus)
Chinese Penduline-Tits are 11cm in length.
Description: Chinese Penduline-Tits have grey crowns and napes. They have black masks on their foreheads, edged in white. Their chestnut mantles, half-collars, and wing coverts contrast their dark wings and black tails in flight. Their whitish underparts are marked with buff.
Distribution: Chinese Penduline-Tits are found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.
21.2 Eurasian Penduline-Tit (Remiz pendulinus)
Description: Eurasian Penduline-Tits have grey heads with black masks (narrow with females), rusty brown mantles, and off-white underparts; wings and tails are black, edged with white. They have sharp, pointed bills.
Distribution: Eurasian Penduline-Tits are found across Europe and Asia. They breed from Denmark and western Russia to southern Europe and Turkey. Birds from the north of Europe winter in Spain, Morocco, Croatia, and the Middle East.
21.3 White-crowned Penduline-Tit (Remiz coronatus)
White-crowned Penduline-Tits are 11cm long and weigh 10g.
Description: White-crowned Penduline-Tits are small birds with very light grey crowns that appear almost white in the field and broad black masks that extend over their bills. Their crown shading is whiter above the mask. Females are plainer, with brown crowns and smaller masks that do not extend over the bill. They have brown mantles and pale underparts, and their wings and tails are black with white edges.
Distribution: White-crowned Penduline-Tits can be found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
Conclusion
Tit birds are a diverse and adaptable group of birds that play a significant role in ecosystems worldwide. They are found in various habitats and have a diverse diet. Their social behaviour also makes them a fascinating subject for ornithologists and bird watchers alike. Tit birds are a testament to the beauty and diversity of avian life on our planet.
