Yellow Penduline-Tit
Anthoscopus parvulus
A tiny, brightly colored bird with a sharp bill. The back is olive-green, the wing blackish with white fringes, and the underparts yellow. Local and uncommon in savanna, ranging from moist Guinea savanna to dry thorn savanna. Usually in pairs or small flocks. Similar to Sennar and Forest Penduline-Tits, but much brighter: yellow rather than buffy below, and with white edges on the wing feathers. Vocalizations include a series of whistles in an up-and-down pattern and a quick series of buzzy notes.
Identification
The yellow penduline tit is around 8 cm (3.1 in) in overall length and weighs 6–8 g (0.21–0.28 oz). It is olive-yellow above with bright yellow underparts and a dull greyish stripe through the eye. The upper wing is brown with feathers edged with yellow. The primaries are edged with buff-white which generates a narrow whitish wing panel. The tail is brown. The bird has a conical pointed bill and strong legs. The sexes are alike.
Taxonomy
The yellow penduline tit was formally described in 1864 by the German explorer and ornithologist Theodor von Heuglin under the binomial name Aegithalus parvulus. This species is now placed in the genus Anthoscopus that was introduced in 1851 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek anthos meaning "blossom" or "flower" with skopos meaning "searcher". The specific epithet parvulus is Latin for "very small" (a diminutive of parvus meaning "small"). The yellow penduline tit is considered by some to be monotypic as no subspecies are clearly distinguishable. The ranges of some proposed subspecies are however widely disjunct.
- Scientific name
- Anthoscopus parvulus
- Authority
- (Heuglin, 1864)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Remizidae
- Genus
- Anthoscopus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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