Rufous-vented Tit
Periparus rubidiventris
An active and social small bird of broadleaf and mixed forests, usually in hilly regions. Thin, rather turnip-like crest is often held vertically. Gray with a black head marked by bright white cheek patches. May be confused with Coal Tit, but has a less wispy crest, lacks wingbars, and averages darker and more contrasting overall. Gives high thin calls, often heard as a flock whizzes overhead.
Taxonomy
The tit was formerly placed in the genus Parus. The four subspecies are:
- Scientific name
- Periparus rubidiventris
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paridae
- Genus
- Periparus
Range and habitat
This tit is a native of the western Himalayas, but has a very large range, occurring in parts of Bhutan, China, Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Nepal. Its natural habitats are boreal forests and temperate forests. In Bhutan for example, P. r. beavani is a rather common all-year resident in moist Bhutan fir (Abies densa) forests, between approximately 3,000 and 4,000 meters ASL. Widespread and by no means rare, it is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Orange-eyed Thornbird
Phacellodomus erythrophthalmus
Medium-sized thornbird with a long tail. Note orange eyes and rufous forehead, throat, and tail while the body is largely brown. Similar to Orange-breasted Thornbird, but has orange rather than dark eyes. Found in pairs on the edge of humid forests, usually near marshes and water bodies where it builds huge stick nests. The song is loud and nasal, usually delivered as a duet.
Black-crowned Tityra
Tityra inquisitor
Handsome, mostly silvery gray bird of tropical lowland forest and adjacent semi-open areas with taller trees. Usually found at mid-upper levels of fruiting trees, sometimes in small groups that mix readily with the commoner Masked Tityra. Black-crowned is told from slightly larger Masked by its solidly black bill. Male is more silvery overall, with a black cap; female had brown face and smaller black cap. Tityras nest in tree cavities, that they sometimes steal from woodpeckers.
Tibetan Partridge
Perdix hodgsoniae
An ornate small terrestrial bird of Tibetan highlands, usually dry hillsides and valleys with sparse shrub cover. Often seen hurrying along with a bobbing gait when surprised on a roadside or in pastures. Browish overall, with black-and-white face pattern and bright orange neck. Can be quite tame, especially in protected areas around monasteries, where often fed.
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