Rufous-fronted Tit
Encyclopedia
The Rufous-fronted Tit (Aegithalos iouschistos) is a small passerine
bird
of the eastern and central Himalayas
belonging to the long-tailed tit family, Aegithalidae. It forms a superspecies
with the Black-browed Tit
(A. bonvaloti) of China
and northern Burma and the White-throated Tit
(A. niveogularis) of the western Himalayas. They have sometimes been regarded as a single species
but are now often treated as separate. The ranges of the Rufous-fronted and Black-browed Tits overlap slightly in China
with no evidence of hybridization.
It is 11 cm long. The adult has grey upperparts and reddish-brown underparts. The head is reddish-buff with a black mask and a silver bib with black streaks and a black edge. Juveniles
are paler and duller than the adults. The Black-browed Tit is similar but has a white forehead and belly and a white edge to its bib. The White-throated Tit has a white forehead and bib and a dark breastband.
It is found in the eastern and central Himalayas in China, India
, Nepal
and Bhutan
. It occurs in montane forests, both broad-leaved and coniferous, up to 3,600 m above sea-level. It typically feeds in flocks.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
of the eastern and central Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
belonging to the long-tailed tit family, Aegithalidae. It forms a superspecies
Superspecies
A superspecies is a group of at least two more or less distinctive species with approximately parapatric distributions. Not all species complexes, whether cryptices or ring species are superspecies, and vice versa, but many are...
with the Black-browed Tit
Black-browed Tit
and and and [[The Black-browed Tit is a species of [[bird]] in the [[Aegithalidae]] family. It is found in [[China]] and [[Burma]] and [[Nepal]] . Its natural [[habitat]]s are boreal [[forest]]s and temperate forests. It was formerly considered [[conspecific]] with the [[Rufous-fronted Tit]] and...
(A. bonvaloti) of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and northern Burma and the White-throated Tit
White-throated Tit
The White-throated Bushtit , also known as the White-throated Tit, is a species of bird in the Aegithalidae family. It is found in India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(A. niveogularis) of the western Himalayas. They have sometimes been regarded as a single species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
but are now often treated as separate. The ranges of the Rufous-fronted and Black-browed Tits overlap slightly in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
with no evidence of hybridization.
It is 11 cm long. The adult has grey upperparts and reddish-brown underparts. The head is reddish-buff with a black mask and a silver bib with black streaks and a black edge. Juveniles
Juvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
are paler and duller than the adults. The Black-browed Tit is similar but has a white forehead and belly and a white edge to its bib. The White-throated Tit has a white forehead and bib and a dark breastband.
It is found in the eastern and central Himalayas in China, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. It occurs in montane forests, both broad-leaved and coniferous, up to 3,600 m above sea-level. It typically feeds in flocks.