- Poecile varius
Includes Owston's Tit; Iriomote Tit and Chestnut-bellied Tit
Identification
It can reach a size between eleven and fourteen centimetres depending on the subspecies. The wing length is 6.0 to 7.8 centimetres. In the nominate race P. v. varia the crown, the bill, the throat, the upper breast and the nape are black. Forehead, face, and cheeks are white. Back, wings, and tail are blueish grey. Mantle, lower breast, belly and undertail coverts are chestnut coloured. From the crown to the nape runs a thin white central line. Other subspecies have a darker hue at the back and at the cheeks, P. v. owstoni has chestnut coloured cheeks and the mantle of P. v. olivacea has an olive tone. The feet are dark cyan. Its call consists of tiny tones which sounds like tzu….tzu….tzu
Distribution
Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and locally in northeastern China and extreme southeastern Russia.
Taxonomy
This species has been placed in various genera in the family Paridae. Formerly, like most other tits, it was placed in Parus, later in Sittiparus or Cyanistes. New studies show that it is maybe best placed in Poecile.
Nine subspecies are recognized[1], split in four species by Gill and Donsker[2]:
- Varied Tit
- P. v. varius on Kuril Islands, northeast China, Korea and main Japanese islands
- P. v. sunsunpi on Tanegashima (Ryukyu Islands)
- P. v. yakushimensis on Yakushima (Ryukyu Islands) (not recognized by Gill and Donsker)
- P. v. amamii on Amami-O-Shima, Tokuno-Shima and Okinawa
- P. v. orii on Daito Islands (Kita-Daito-jima, Minami-Daito-jima and Daito-jima)
- P. v. namiyei on northern Izu Islands (To-shima, Nii-jima and Kozu-shima)
- Owston's Tit
- P. v. owstoni on south Izu Islands (Miyake-jima, Mikura-jima and Hachijo-jima)
- Iriomote Tit
- P. v. olivaceus on Iriomote Island (southern Ryukyu Islands)
- Chestnut-bellied Tit
- P. v. castaneoventris on Taiwan
Habitat
Its habitat consists of open mixed forests, in particular with the Japanese castanopsis species Castanopsis cuspidata and Japanese Larch, coniferous forests with Japanese yews, Japanese cedars, and pines as well as bamboo forests at mountain slopes and in river valleys.
Behaviour
The Varied Tit eats a mixed diet consisting of seeds, nuts and insects, namely caterpillars.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.1). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Varied Tit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 16 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Varied_Tit