- Remiz macronyx
Identification
10-11cm. A small, dark-hooded penduline-tit.
- Sooty black or warm brown head, throat and upper breast
- Narrow pale buff collar
- Chestnut mantle and uppper scapulars with cinnamon fringed feathers
- Reddish-brown to blackish upperwing feathers
- Blackish tail edged white
- Chestnut sides of breast
- Light buff rest of underparts
- nigricans is much darker than nominate
Females similar but less well marked. Juveniles rather dull and nondescript with greyish upperparts and light buff underparts. Probably not distinguishable from juveniles of White-crowned Penduline Tit.
Similar species
Differs from other Penduline Tits mainly in absence of grey or white areas on head and nape.
Distribution
Found in Central Asia locally in Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and probably southwest Pakistan. A possible record from Oman.
Fairly common in most of its range but subspecies nigricans probably extinct in southeast Iran.
Taxonomy
Forms a superspecies with Eurasian Penduline Tit, White-crowned Penduline Tit and Chinese Penduline Tit. All four sometimes considered one species and present species sometimes considered conspecific with Eurasian Penduline Tit (sometimes also only nominate subspecies).
Subspecies[1]
There are 4 subspecies:
- R. m. macronyx:
- South-western Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and south-eastern Turkmenistan
- R. m. neglectus:
- South-western Turkmenistan and northern Iran (Atrak and Gorgan valleys)
- R. m. nigricans:
- South-eastern Iran
- R. m. ssaposhnikowi:
- South-eastern Kazakstan (region of lakes Balkhash, Sasykkol and Alakol)
Habitat
Found at low-lying lakesides and riverbans with stands of reeds and reedmace.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on larvae of small insects. Takes also other insects, spiders and seeds of aquatic plants.
Forages chiefly in reeds, avoids trees.
Few other information on behaviour but probably very similar to Eurasian Penduline Tit.
Breeding season from late May to mid-June. The nest is an elongated globular pouch with a side entrance. It's usually built between two reed stems. Lays 6 to 7 eggs.
Mainly a resident species. It's likely that some populations move in winter to the Caspian lowlands and that some birds might be seen outside their range eg in Iraq.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2008. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553453
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-headed Penduline Tit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-headed_Penduline_Tit
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
