Black-throated Tit - BirdForum Opus

Photo by MoonCake
Photo taken: Taiwan
subspecies concinnus

Photo by Sumit
Photo taken: eastern Himalayas, India
subspecies iredalai

Alternative names: Red-headed Tit; Black-throated Bushtit

Aegithalos concinnus

Identification

10cm.
A widespread and common long-tailed tit with marked geographical variation.
Iredalai-group:

• Rufous crown
• Black throat-patch below white chin
• Small whitish supercilium
• Cool grey above
• Whitish below with rufescent flanks
• Pale yellow iris

Annamensis-group:

• Crown grey
• No whitish supercilium, generally less white on head
• Greyish-white below

Concinnus-group:

• Chestnut flanks
• Chestnut lower breast band
• Whitish central belly
• pulchellus with grey crown, others with rufous crown

The sexes are similar, juveniles have paler caps.

Distribution

	Found from northern Pakistan east along the Himalayas to India, Nepal, Bhutan and northeast India. Also in northwest Burma, northwest Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and much of southern China, including Hainan and in Taiwan.
	Legend • iredalai-group; year-round • annamensis-group; year-round • nominate group; year-round Maps/Texts consulted1

Taxonomy

Marked geographical variation. This species may represent an unresolved species swarm, further study is needed.
Six subspecies are recognized, forming three groups:

• iredalai-group:
  • A. c. iredalai from Pakistan east to northeast India. Some authors also accept rubricapillus in the central and eastern Himalayas.
• annamensis-group:
  • A. c. annamensis in south Laos, Vietnam and adjacent Cambodia
• nominate-group:
  • A. c. manipurensis in northeast India and northwest Burma
  • A. c. talifuensis in northeast Burma, south China, northern Laos and northwest Vietnam
  • A. c. pulchellus in east Burma and northwest Thailand
  • A. c. concinnus in central and southeast China and Taiwan

Habitat

Broadleaved (especially oak) and mixed forest up to 2700m, but also recorded higher up.

Behaviour

Feeds on insects. Also known to take small seeds and fruits.
A very gregarious species, foraging usually in flocks of up to 40 birds. Often joines mixed-species parties.
Breeding season from February to May in China, March to May in the Himalayas. Single-brooded, sometimes with helpers. The nest is a oval ball made from lichen and moss, bound together with spider webs. It's placed in a fork up to 3m high or woven around twigs. 3 - 6 white or pale pink eggs are laid.
This species is mostly resident. Some erratic and altitudinal movements are known.

Vocalisation

Psip-psip notes and a chrr-chrr, trr-trr.

References

1. 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
2. Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672

External Links

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