From Opus

Photo by IanF
Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, Billingham, UK

Periparus ater

Parus ater

[edit] Identification

L. 10–11.5 cm
Adult

• Large white nape spot
• Black head
• Glossy blue-black head, throat and neck
• White on sides of face
• Double wingbar

Juvenile
Photo by HelenB
Dodd Wood, Bassenthwaite Lake, UK, May 2010

• White underparts with buff to rufous shading on flanks
• Black bill
• Lead colored legs
• Dark brown eyes

Immature

• Duller than adult
• Black head with no sheen
• White of nape and cheeks tinged with yellow

[edit] Similar Species

Great Tit is the most obvious candidate for confusion in Europe

[edit] Distribution

Europe and British Isles to eastern Siberia, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan. Southern limits include north Africa, Caucasus, the Himalayas and southern China.
Resident, but along with Blue Tit is the most mobile tit in autumn, northern populations in some years moving south in large numbers.

[edit] Taxonomy

A passerine bird in the tit family Paridae, sometimes still referred to as Parus ater.
Black-crested Tit is sometimes considered conspecific.

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• P. a. hibernicus: Ireland (except extreme north-eastern in County Down)
• P. a. britannicus: Britain and north-eastern Ireland
• P. a. ater: Continental Europe to Siberia, Mongolia, Sakhalin and north-eastern China
• P. a. vieirae: Iberian Peninsula
• P. a. sardus: Corsica and Sardinia
• P. a. atlas: Northern Morocco
• P. a. ledouci: North Africa (northern Tunisia and northern Algeria)
• P. a. cypriotes: Cyprus
• P. a. moltchanovi: Crimean Peninsula
• P. a. derjugini: Mountains of north-eastern Turkey, western Georgia and Black Sea coast of Russia
• P. a. michalowskii: Caucasus and Transcaucasia
• P. a. gaddi: South-eastern Azerbaijan and Caspian region of northern Iran (east to Gorgan)
• P. a. chorassanicus: North-eastern Iran and south-western Turkmenistan
• P. a. phaeonotus: Zagros Mountains (south-western Iran)
• P. a. rufipectus: Kazakstan (Tien Shan Mountains) to north-western China (Xinjiang)
• P. a. aemodius: Eastern Himalayas to north-eastern Myanmar, Tibet and south-western China
• P. a. pekinensis: North-eastern China (southern Liaoning to Shaanxi and Shantung Peninsula)
• P. a. kuatunensis: Montane forests of south-eastern China (Anhui, Fujian and Zhejiang)
• P. a. ptilosus: Montane forests of Taiwan
• P. a. insularis: Southern Kuril Islands, Japan and Cheju-Do Islands (Korea)

[edit] Habitat

Breeds mainly in conifer woods, often with some taller spruces; locally also in pine or mixed forest.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Forages (for seeds, insects, spiders) in top of trees and in outer branches.

The will also cache seeds in crevices^[3].

[edit] Breeding

April to July. Nests in hole, sometimes among tree roots or in rock crevice. Readily uses nest boxes. The nest is made of moss, hair, further and maybe feathers. The clutch consists of 7-9 white eggs with reddish-brown speckles. They are incubated for around 2 weeks, fledging at 16-19 days. There may be a second brood.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Bird Watching
3. Birdforum thread

• List of references

[edit] External Links