Tits of Vietnam – Paridae

With 6 species Tits of Vietnam, occurring mostly over the Highlands. Tits family could be said that they are one of the family really hard to see because of their small size and their distribution

You may know: Tits in Vietnam could easily to found in the Dalat plateau but in other sites it is truly difficult

The overview of Tits families

The Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice constitute the Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur mainly in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. Most were formerly classified in the genus Parus.

Members of this family are commonly referred to as “tits” throughout much of the English speaking world, but North American species are called either “chickadees” (onomatopoeic, derived from their distinctive “chick-a dee dee dee” alarm call) or “titmice”.

The name titmouse is recorded from the 14th century, composed of the Old English name for the bird, mase (Proto-Germanic *maison, Dutch mees, German Meise), and tit, denoting something small. The former spelling, “titmose”, was influenced by mouse in the 16th century. Emigrants to New Zealand presumably identified some of the superficially similar birds of the genus Petroica of the family Petroicidae, the Australian robins, as members of the tit family, giving them the title tomtit, although, in fact, they are not related.

These birds are mainly small, stocky, woodland species with short, stout bills. Some have crests. They range in length from 10 to 22 cm (3.9 to 8.7 in). They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.[3] Many species live around human habitation and come readily to bird feeders for nuts or seed, and learn to take other foods

With the exception of the three monotypic genera Sylviparus, Melanochlora, and Pseudopodoces, the Tits are extremely similar in appearance, and have been described as “one of the most conservative avian families in terms of general morphology”.

The typical body length of adult members of the family is between 10 and 16 cm (3.9 and 6.3 in) in length; when the monotypic genera are added, this range is from 9 to 21 cm (3.5 to 8.3 in). In weight, the family ranges from 5 to 49 g (0.18 to 1.73 oz); this contracts to 7 to 29 g (0.25 to 1.02 oz) when the three atypical genera are removed. The majority of the variation within the family is in plumage, and particularly colour.

The bills of the tits are generally short, varying between stout and fine, depending on diet. The more insectivorous species have finer bills, whereas those that consume more seeds have stouter bills. It is said that tits are evolving longer beaks to reach into bird feeders. The most aberrant bill of the family is possessed by Hume’s ground tit of Tibet and the Himalayas, which is long and decurved.

Tits are active, noisy, and social birds. They are territorial during the breeding season and often join mixed-species feeding flocks during the nonbreeding season. The tits are highly adaptable, and after the corvids (crows and jays) and parrots, amongst the most intelligent of all birds.

Tits of Vietnam highlight note

Tits of Vietnam

Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus

Status: Uncommon resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tour cover: Highlands

Hotspot: Sa Pa – Fansipan, Dalat Plateau

55 WANEE asia

Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea

Status: Common resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Exclude plains

Hotspot: Dalat, Cuc Phuong, Kontum

56 WANEE asia

Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus

Status: Uncommon resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Highlands

Hotspot: Dalat, Sa Pa – Fansipan

58 WANEE asia

Great Tit Parus major

Status: Uncommon resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Throughout

Hotspot: Tam Dao, Yokdon, Cuc Phuong,

Japanese Tit Parus minor

Status: Common resident

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Exclude South Vietnam

Hotspot: Xuan Thuy, Yokdon, Cuc Phuong

57 WANEE asia

Yellow-cheeked Tit Machlolophus spilonotus

Status: Local common resident (throughout)

Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr

Tours: Exclude plains

Hotspot: Dalat, Kon tum, Sa Pa

All Vietnam Birds Families

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Open chat
1
Ask for Vietnam Wildlife Tours
Hello 👋
Can we help you?