While in Century Park (世纪公园) in Shanghai (Pudong) this weekend I found an ecumenical flock foraging in the leaf litter among saplings by the edge of a pond, consisting of tree sparrows, bramblings, vinous throated parrotbills, a few common moorhens, and one tit. The tit seemed slightly smaller than the sparrows, its black capped appeared to wrap around its head to join (or come close to joining) its black chin, with a small triangular white patch on the nape. Its sides were slightly buffy but in general its colors were gray, white and black. It did not cleanly present its front to me, but I did not see a vertical breast stripe. There was no sign of an obvious crest to its head. It stayed low among the leaf litter foraging, rarely getting more than a few inches off the ground (until the whole flock was routed out by a fellow fishing).
I'm new to birding in China, and never in Shanghai (I live in Beijing). I've seen a great tit (now parus minor?) and willow/marsh tits near Beijing, but never a coal tit. I didn't have a guide book with me, but due to its size, white nape and buffy sides I guessed that this was a coal tit, but the lack of a crest or a good view of its front makes me wary. Do coal tits in Shanghai normally present a crest? Do great tits have have buffy sides? Thanks!
I'm new to birding in China, and never in Shanghai (I live in Beijing). I've seen a great tit (now parus minor?) and willow/marsh tits near Beijing, but never a coal tit. I didn't have a guide book with me, but due to its size, white nape and buffy sides I guessed that this was a coal tit, but the lack of a crest or a good view of its front makes me wary. Do coal tits in Shanghai normally present a crest? Do great tits have have buffy sides? Thanks!