Azure Tit
Cyanistes cyanus
Frosty, pale bundle of joy. Nominate northern population is white with a shadowy black outlining of the cheek, bright blue-and-white striped wings, and a clean white breast. Central Asian and Central Chinese birds have a bright yellow patch on the breast. Prefers open wooded or shrubby areas, often in proximity to willow, birch, and various conifers. More common in open habitats in northern range. Forages actively, often within dense foliage, and can be surprisingly difficult to see well. Gives various high-pitched calls, including chips, trills, and rattles. Song is variable, and includes high whistles followed by a rattling stutter, as well as a series of cheery, repetitive two-note calls.
Taxonomy
For many years the azure tit was known as Parus cyanus. In 2005, analysis of the mtDNA cytochrome b sequences of the Paridae indicated that Cyanistes was an early offshoot from the lineage of other tits, and more accurately regarded as a genus rather than a subgenus of Parus.<p>The azure tit not infrequently hybridizes with the blue tit in western Russia; the resulting birds are called Pleske's tit (Cyanistes × pleskei) and were once considered a distinct species.<p>The population in central Asia, yellow-breasted tit (C. c. flavipectus or Parus flavipectus), is sometimes included as a subspecies of the azure tit.
- Scientific name
- Cyanistes cyanus
- Authority
- (Pallas, 1770)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paridae
- Genus
- Cyanistes
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-chinned Babbler
Cyanoderma pyrrhops
Small buffy babbler with a black throat and lores. Social, often occurring in flocks with other species. Forages close to or on the ground in open forest, shrubby edge, and overgrown gardens and orchards. Song is a monotone or slightly ascending series of piping whistles. Calls include a sped-up version of the song and harsh churring.
Cameroon Indigobird
Vidua camerunensis
A nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of African and Black-bellied Firefinches and Brown and Dybowski's Twinspots. Breeding males are glossy black with blue iridescence and a pale brownish panel in the wings. Females and non-breeding males are streaky and brown on the back and pale below, with a bold facial pattern. The bill is whitish and the legs very pale purplish. Found locally in lush woodland, savanna, and cultivated areas. Given current knowledge, can only be confidently identified by mimicked vocalizations. Each male parasitizes only one of the four host species and imitates its vocalizations, often mixing them into a scratchy jumble of high-pitched notes.
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Cyclarhis gujanensis
A large chunky vireo, widespread in tropical and subtropical wooded habitats. Forages sluggishly, mainly at mid-upper levels, sometimes joining mixed-species feeding flocks. Plumage varies across its range, but all populations have a very stout pale bill, a rusty eyebrow, and pinkish legs; underparts vary from bright yellow (as in mainland Mexico and Central America) to dingy yellow (as on Cozumel Island).
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