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Songar Tit - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 01:08, 9 November 2009 by GaryClark-54011 (talk | contribs)
Poecile songara
Photo by Askar Isabekov
Photo taken: Ile Alatau National Park, Kazakhstan.

Identification

13 cm. Dark brown cap, black bib, rich brown upperparts, white cheeks and cinnamon buff underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are somewhat duller.

Distribution

Southeast Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and northern China.

Taxonomy

Four subspecies are recognized:[1]

  • P.s. songara - Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakstan
  • P.s. weigoldica - Southwest China
  • P.s. affinis - North-central China
  • P.s. stotzneri - Northeast China

Habitat

Deciduous mountain forests.

Behaviour

It excavates a cup shaped nesting hole, often in a rotten stump or in a tree, which is lined with fur, hair and wood chips, and sometimes feathers. 5-6 white with small reddish spots or blotches eggs are laid.

The diet includes caterpillars, insects and seeds.

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.

Recommended Citation

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