Black-bibbed Tit Poecile hypermelaenus is the only species in the Marsh Tit Complex showing a hint of a crest. Once considered race of Marsh Tit P. palustris; also very similar to Sichuan Tit P. weigoldicus. Near Chinese endemic; there is a disjunct population in southwest Burma. Range includes Min and Qin Mountains in southern Gansu and southwest Shaanxi, northwest Hubei (Daba Mountains), northwest Guizhou and adjacent Yunnan, and southwest Sichuan to northwest Yunnan and southeast Tibet. HABITAT Conifer and broadleaved forests, between 1500–4000 m (4,920–13,120 ft.). ID & COMPARISON Glossy black cap extends to center of upper mantle, with short, ragged crest usually present on hindcrown. Sichuan Tit never has crest, and cap of Sichuan is dull black with brown tinge. Large cheek patches white. Black bib extends to lower throat; bib of the Marsh Tit in region (P. palustris hellmayri) is narrower and covers only upper throat, and bib of Sichuan Tit is less clear-cut than Black-bibbed and is browner. Upperparts olive-green, not plain grey-brown, as in hellmayri and Sichuan Tit; wings and somewhat rounded tail brownish-grey, with paler fringes to flight feathers, unlike hellmayri. Underparts white with olive-brown wash; underparts of hellmayri white with buff wash, and underparts of Sichuan Tit light grey-brown, sometimes with cinnamon wash. Sichuan Tit larger than Black-bibbed and like hellmayri has square-ended tail. BARE PARTS Bill black; feet grey. VOICE Similar to Marsh Tit. — Craig Brelsford
THE TITS AND CHICKADEES OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com covers every species in the family Paridae in China. Click any link:
Fire-capped Tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps
Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus
Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea
Rufous-naped Tit Periparus rufonuchalis
Rufous-vented Tit P. rubidiventris
Coal Tit P. ater
Yellow-bellied Tit Pardaliparus venustulus
Grey Crested Tit Lophophanes dichrous
Varied Tit Sittiparus varius
White-browed Tit Poecile superciliosus
Pere David’s Tit P. davidi
Black-bibbed Tit P. hypermelaenus
Marsh Tit P. palustris
Sichuan Tit P. weigoldicus
Willow Tit P. montanus
Azure Tit Cyanistes cyanus
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis
Great Tit Parus major
Japanese Tit P. minor
Cinereous Tit P. cinereus
Green-backed Tit P. monticolus
Himalayan Black-lored Tit Machlolophus xanthogenys
Yellow-cheeked Tit M. spilonotus
See also these Taiwan endemics:
Chestnut-bellied Tit Sittiparus castaneoventris
Yellow Tit Machlolophus holsti
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
