Grey Crested Tit Lophophanes dichrous ranges western Himalaya to Shaanxi, with dichroides northeast Tibet and Qinghai across Min Mountains in northern Sichuan and southern Gansu to Qin Mountains in southern Shaanxi, wellsi western Sichuan and northern Yunnan, and nominate southern Tibet. HABITAT & BEHAVIOR A hardy, high-altitude, forest-loving species, in Sichuan breeding as high as 4500 m (14,760 ft.); in winter to 2000 m (6,560 ft.). In pairs or small mixed-species flocks, hopping along branches in middle and lower stories and (especially in winter) descending to ground. ID & COMPARISON Adult has grey erectile crest, grey upperparts with a white half-collar, and mottled grey cheeks. In nominate, half-collar extends into submoustachial stripe, and greyish throat contrasts with otherwise cinnamon-buff underparts. Ssp. dichroides and wellsi have more uniform throat and paler buff underparts. Juvenile has a shorter crest and is paler below. BARE PARTS Bill black; feet blue-grey or dark grey; iris reddish-brown. VOICE Quiet, with varied repertoire of thin calls and trilling songs. — 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.
