Rufous-fronted Bushtit Aegithalos iouschistos in China is only in southeast Tibet around Yalu Zangbu River (upper Brahmaputra River). Similar to Black-browed Bushtit A. bonvaloti, whose range abuts Rufous-fronted around the Yalu Zangbu; but the species have not been found to interbreed. Rufous-fronted has richer cinnamon median crown-stripe, cheeks, and submoustachial stripe. Underparts cinnamon-brown, leaving whitish throat bib as the bird’s palest area (except for sides of tail); there is no breast band. — Craig Brelsford
THE BUSHTITS OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com covers all 8 species of long-tailed tit in China. Click any link below:
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
Silver-throated Bushtit A. glaucogularis
Black-throated Bushtit A. concinnus
Rufous-fronted Bushtit A. iouschistos
Black-browed Bushtit A. bonvaloti
Sooty Bushtit A. fuliginosus
White-browed Tit-warbler Leptopoecile sophiae
Crested Tit-warbler L. elegans
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.
