Varied Tit
Encyclopedia
The Varied Tit is a perching bird from the tit family
, Paridae. It occurs in eastern Asia
in Japan
, Korea
, Taiwan
, and locally in northeastern China
(southern Liaoning
) and extreme southeastern Russia
(southern Kurile Islands).
Its habitat consists of open mixed forests, in particular with the Japanese Castanopsis
species Castanopsis cuspidata
and Japanese Larch
, coniferous forests with Japanese yew
s, Sugi
, and pine
s as well as bamboo
forests at mountain slopes and in river valleys.
The Varied Tit eats a mixed diet consisting of seeds and insects, namely caterpillars.
Its call consists of tiny tones which sounds like tzu….tzu….tzu…
, this species
was sometimes separated in the genus
. Sittiparus. Alternatively, it was placed in the Blue Tit
group Cyanistes
. In recent times, these have been considered subgenera
of Parus, with the Varied Tit being placed in Sittiparus rather than Cyanistes.
However, mtDNA cytochrome b
sequence
data indicates that Cyanistes is very distinct from other tits and certainly a separate genus, while Sittiparus is not a distinct genus but might be considered a subgenus of Poecile, the chickadees and relatives, if these are separated as a distinct genus (which is supported by the data and accepted by some authorities already, such as the American Ornithologists' Union
).
In Poecile, this species forms part of a group of apparently rather basal
species, the relationships of which are ill-defined. They also include the Sombre Tit
, probably the White-fronted Tit, and possibly the White-browed
and Caspian Tit
s (Gill et al., 2005).
A considerable number of subspecies
have been described, with notable diversification on the islands south of Japan; nine are usually considered valid today, of which one has become extinct in the 20th century:
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Paridae. It occurs in eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and locally in northeastern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(southern Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
) and extreme southeastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(southern Kurile Islands).
Description
It is 12–14 cm long and weighs 16–18 g. The wing length is 6.0–7.8 cm. In the nominate race P. v. varius the crown, the bill, the throat, the upper breast and the nape are black. Forehead, face, and cheeks are white. Back, wings, and tail are bluish grey. Mantle, lower breast, belly and undertail coverts are chestnut coloured. From the crown to the nape runs a thin white central line. Other subspecies have a darker hue at the back and at the cheeks, P. v. owstoni has chestnut coloured cheeks and the mantle of P. v. olivaceus has an olive tone. The feet are dark grey.Its habitat consists of open mixed forests, in particular with the Japanese Castanopsis
Castanopsis
Castanopsis is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the beech family, Fagaceae. The genus contains about 120 species, which are today restricted to tropical and subtropical eastern Asia. A total of 58 species are native to China, with 30 endemic; the other species occur further south, through...
species Castanopsis cuspidata
Castanopsis cuspidata
Castanopsis cuspidata is a species of Castanopsis native to southern Japan and southern Korea....
and Japanese Larch
Japanese Larch
Japanese Larch is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū....
, coniferous forests with Japanese yew
Taxus cuspidata
Taxus cuspidata is a member of the genus Taxus, native to Japan, Korea, northeast China and the extreme southeast of Russia....
s, Sugi
Cryptomeria
Cryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
, and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s as well as bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
forests at mountain slopes and in river valleys.
The Varied Tit eats a mixed diet consisting of seeds and insects, namely caterpillars.
Its call consists of tiny tones which sounds like tzu….tzu….tzu…
Systematics
Together with the White-fronted TitWhite-fronted Tit
The White-fronted Tit is a species of bird in the Paridae family.It is endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, this species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
was sometimes separated in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. Sittiparus. Alternatively, it was placed in the Blue Tit
Blue Tit
The Blue Tit is a 10.5 to 12 cm long passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands...
group Cyanistes
Cyanistes
Cyanistes is a genus of tits. It is frequently subsumed into Parus. It consists of three small species found in temperate Europe and Asia and Northern AfricaThe species are:* Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus* Azure Tit, Cyanistes cyanus...
. In recent times, these have been considered subgenera
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
of Parus, with the Varied Tit being placed in Sittiparus rather than Cyanistes.
However, mtDNA cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data indicates that Cyanistes is very distinct from other tits and certainly a separate genus, while Sittiparus is not a distinct genus but might be considered a subgenus of Poecile, the chickadees and relatives, if these are separated as a distinct genus (which is supported by the data and accepted by some authorities already, such as the American Ornithologists' Union
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
).
In Poecile, this species forms part of a group of apparently rather basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
species, the relationships of which are ill-defined. They also include the Sombre Tit
Sombre Tit
The Sombre Tit is a member of the tit family found in southeast Europe and southwest Asia.Though it is traditionally placed in Parus, mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggests that that genus should be split, as already adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union, for example...
, probably the White-fronted Tit, and possibly the White-browed
White-browed Tit
The White-browed Tit is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae. It is endemic to the mountain forests of southwestern China ....
and Caspian Tit
Caspian Tit
The Caspian Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family. It is often lumped with Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris The Caspian Tit (Poecile hyrcanus, formerly Parus hyrcanus) is a passerine bird in the tit family. It is often lumped with Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris The Caspian Tit (Poecile hyrcanus,...
s (Gill et al., 2005).
A considerable number of subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
have been described, with notable diversification on the islands south of Japan; nine are usually considered valid today, of which one has become extinct in the 20th century:
- Cyanistes varius varius (Temminck & Schlegel, 1848) - Occurrence: southern Kuriles (Kunashir, ShikotanShikotanShikotan, in Russian , Japanese , or シコタㇴ), is one of the bigger islands of the Kuril Islands, which are controlled by Russia. It is one of the four southernmost islands which Japan maintains a claim for...
, IturupIturupIturup is the largest island of the South Kuril Islands. It is the northernmost island in the southern Kuril/Chishima islands, and though it is presently controlled by Russia, Japan also claims this island...
), north-eastern ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, central and southern KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... - Cyanistes varius owstoni (Ijima, 1893) - Occurrence: Izu IslandsIzu IslandsThe are a group of volcanic islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshū, Japan. Administratively, they form two towns and six villages; all part of Tokyo. The largest is Izu Ōshima, usually called simply Ōshima....
, Miyakojima, MikurajimaMikurajimais a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō Metropolis and located approximately south of Tokyo and south-southeast of Miyakejima. It is one of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago....
and HachijojimaHachijojimais a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō and located approximately south of the Special Wards of Tōkyō. It is the southernmost and most isolated of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago... - Cyanistes varius namiyei (Kuroda, 1918) - Occurrence: Toshima IslandToshima Island, a volcanic island in the Izu Islands and administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, Japan, lies south of Tokyo and east of the Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka prefecture. Toshima forms part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. serves as the local government of the island.The island, at...
, Niijima and Kozu-Shima - Cyanistes varius sunsunpi (Kuroda, 1919) - Occurrence: TanegashimaTanegashimais an island lying to the south of Kyushu, in southern Japan, and is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands....
- Cyanistes varius yakushimensis (Kuroda, 1919) - Occurrence: YakushimaYakushima, one of the Ōsumi Islands, is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15,000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Vincennes Strait separates it from Tanegashima. The highest point on the island is Miyanoura-dake at 1,935 metres...
- Cyanistes varius amamii (Kuroda, 1922) - Occurrence: Amami ŌshimaAmami Oshimais a semi-tropical island in the Amami Islands, which is part of the larger Nansei Islands in Japan. Ōshima literally means big island, and it is the largest of the Amami Islands. It lies roughly halfway between the islands of Okinawa and Kyūshū. Briefly part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in 1624 it was...
, TokunoshimaTokunoshimais an island in the Amami Islands of southwestern Japan. Administatively it belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture. Three towns are located on the island: Tokunoshima, Isen, and Amagi...
and Okinawa IslandOkinawa IslandOkinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of... - Cyanistes varius olivaceus (Kuroda, 1923) - IriomoteIriomoteIriomote is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself....
and IshigakijimaIshigaki, OkinawaIshigaki is an island west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group. It is within the City of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago... - Cyanistes varius orii (Kuroda, 1923) Daito Varied TitDaito Varied TitThe Daito Varied Tit is an extinct subspecies of the Varied Tit. It was formerly found on Kita Daitō-jima and Minami Daitō-jima in the Daitō group east of the Okinawa Islands, but became extinct around 1940. It seems that the last specimens collected were Kuroda's types taken in 1922, and that the...
- Occurrence: formerly Daitō IslandsDaito IslandsDaitō Islands are three islands that lie about east of Okinawa. From north to south, the islands are:* Data from 2004 Nov 20, 08:55 version of Japanese Wikipedia...
(Kita Daitōjima and Minami Daitōjima), extinct c.1940 - Cyanistes varius castaneoventris (Harrap, 1996) - Occurrence: TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
External links
- Northern Region Water Resources Office, Taiwan: Birds of Shihmen Reservoir. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21.
- Oriental Bird Club: Varied Tit photos. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21.
- Endangered animals of Russia: Тиссовая синица (Tissovaya sinitsa, Varied Tit) [in Russian]. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21.
- Birding In Taiwan: Endemic subspecies of Taiwan birds - first impressions. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21.