Penduline tit
Encyclopedia
The penduline tits are a family
of small passerine bird
s, related to the true tits. All but the Verdin and Fire-capped Tit make elaborate bag nests hanging from trees (whence "penduline", hanging), usually over water; inclusion of the Fire-capped Tit in this family is disputed by some authorities.
and Africa
and North America
. The genus Remiz
is almost exclusively Eurasian, ranging discontinuously from Portugal
and the tip of northern Morocco
through to Siberia
and Japan
. The largest genus, Anthoscopus
, is found in sub-Sahara
n Africa from the Sahel
through to South Africa
. Of the monotypic genera the Verdin
lives in arid parts of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico
, the Fire-capped Tit
is found in Southern and Eastern Asia, and the Tit-hylia
in eastern and central Africa.
Several species of penduline tit are migratory
, although this behaviour is only shown in species found in Asia and Europe; African species and the Verdin are apparently sedentary. The Eurasian Penduline Tit is migratory over parts of its range, with birds in northern Europe moving south in the winter but birds in southern Europe remaining close to their breeding areas. In contrast The Chinese Penduline Tit and Fire-capped Tit
are fully migratory and undertake long distance migrations.
Most live in open country with trees or bushes, ranging from desert to marsh to woodland, but the Forest Penduline Tit and the Tit-hylia
live in rain forest. They spend most of the year in small flocks (Perrins 2003).
The common name of the family reflects the tendency of most species to construct elaborate pear-shaped nests
. These nests are woven from spiderweb, wool and animal hair and soft plant materials and is suspended from twigs and branches in trees. The nests of the African genus Anthoscopus are even more elaborate than the Eurasian Remiz, incorporating a false entrance above the true entrance which leads to a false chamber. The true nesting chamber is accessed by the parent opening a hidden flap, entering and then closing the flap shut again, the two sides sealing with sticky spider webs.
Of the two species with aberrant nests, the Verdin builds a domed nest out of thorny twigs and the Fire-capped Tit nests in tree holes that it lines. The eggs are white, with red spots in some species; the Verdin lays blue-green eggs with red spots. Incubation lasts about 13 or 14 days, and the nestlings fledge at about 18 days (Perrins 2003).
lineup scientists prefers is primarily a matter of taste; that these families are close relatives is well established by now. If the penduline tits are included in the Paridae, the stenostirid "warblers"
would have to be included as another subfamily, while if they are considered a separate family, the Sultan Tit
and the Yellow-browed Tit
would possibly need to be excluded from the Paridae (Jønsson & Fjeldsa 2006). The placement of the Tit-hylia
within this family is particularly controversial, it having variously been placed with the sunbird
s, waxbills, honeyeater
s and most recently close to the Green Hylia
.
There are 13 species in 5 genera, following Harrap & Quinn (1996):
Family: REMIZIDAE
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...
of small passerine bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, related to the true tits. All but the Verdin and Fire-capped Tit make elaborate bag nests hanging from trees (whence "penduline", hanging), usually over water; inclusion of the Fire-capped Tit in this family is disputed by some authorities.
Characteristics
Penduline tits are tiny passerines, ranging from 7.5 to 11 cm in length, that resemble the true tits (Paridae) but have finer bills with more needle-like points. Their wings are short and rounded and their short tails are notched (except the stub-tailed tit). The penduline tits' typical plumage colors are pale grays and yellows and white, though the European Penduline Tit has black and chestnut markings and some species have bright yellow or red (Perrins 2003).Distribution and habitat
The penduline tits live in EurasiaEurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The genus Remiz
Remiz
Remiz is a genus of birds in the Remizidae family, commonly known as the Eurasian pendulines...
is almost exclusively Eurasian, ranging discontinuously from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the tip of northern Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
through to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and 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...
. The largest genus, Anthoscopus
Anthoscopus
Anthoscopus is a genus of birds in the penduline tit family Remizidae. The genus is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, where it ranges from the Sahel to South Africa. Unlike many of the Eurasian penduline, these species are not generally migratory, instead remaining close to their breeding sites...
, is found in sub-Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
n Africa from the Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
through to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Of the monotypic genera the Verdin
Verdin
The Verdin is a species of penduline tit. It is the only species in the genus Auriparus, and the only species in the family to be found in the New World....
lives in arid parts of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Fire-capped Tit
Fire-capped Tit
The Fire-capped Tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. The species was once considered to be a kinglet but is today treated as a penduline tit, although this is sometimes disputed. It is placed in a monotypic genus, Cephalopyrus.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal,...
is found in Southern and Eastern Asia, and the Tit-hylia
Tit-hylia
The Tit Hylia is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pholidornis....
in eastern and central Africa.
Several species of penduline tit are migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, although this behaviour is only shown in species found in Asia and Europe; African species and the Verdin are apparently sedentary. The Eurasian Penduline Tit is migratory over parts of its range, with birds in northern Europe moving south in the winter but birds in southern Europe remaining close to their breeding areas. In contrast The Chinese Penduline Tit and Fire-capped Tit
Fire-capped Tit
The Fire-capped Tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. The species was once considered to be a kinglet but is today treated as a penduline tit, although this is sometimes disputed. It is placed in a monotypic genus, Cephalopyrus.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal,...
are fully migratory and undertake long distance migrations.
Most live in open country with trees or bushes, ranging from desert to marsh to woodland, but the Forest Penduline Tit and the Tit-hylia
Tit-hylia
The Tit Hylia is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pholidornis....
live in rain forest. They spend most of the year in small flocks (Perrins 2003).
Behaviour
Insects form the larger part of the diet of the penduline tits, and they are active foragers. Their long conical bill is used to probe into cracks and prise open holes in order to obtain prey. Nectar, seeds and fruits may also be taken seasonally. Their foraging behaviour is reminiscent of the true tits (Paridae), foraging upside-down on small branches, manoeuvring branches and leaves with their feet in order to insect them, and clasping large prey items with one foot while dismembering them.The common name of the family reflects the tendency of most species to construct elaborate pear-shaped nests
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
. These nests are woven from spiderweb, wool and animal hair and soft plant materials and is suspended from twigs and branches in trees. The nests of the African genus Anthoscopus are even more elaborate than the Eurasian Remiz, incorporating a false entrance above the true entrance which leads to a false chamber. The true nesting chamber is accessed by the parent opening a hidden flap, entering and then closing the flap shut again, the two sides sealing with sticky spider webs.
Of the two species with aberrant nests, the Verdin builds a domed nest out of thorny twigs and the Fire-capped Tit nests in tree holes that it lines. The eggs are white, with red spots in some species; the Verdin lays blue-green eggs with red spots. Incubation lasts about 13 or 14 days, and the nestlings fledge at about 18 days (Perrins 2003).
Systematics
Sometimes, these birds are included as subfamily Remizinae in the tit family Paridae. Which taxonomicTaxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
lineup scientists prefers is primarily a matter of taste; that these families are close relatives is well established by now. If the penduline tits are included in the Paridae, the stenostirid "warblers"
Stenostiridae
Stenostiridae, or the Fairy Flycatchers, is a family of small passerine birds proposed as a result of recent discoveries in molecular systematics . They are commonly referred to as stenostirid warblers....
would have to be included as another subfamily, while if they are considered a separate family, the Sultan Tit
Sultan Tit
The Sultan Tit is a large songbird with a yellow crest, dark bill, black upperparts plumage and yellow underparts. The sexes are similar. The female has greenish black upperparts and yellowish throat...
and the Yellow-browed Tit
Yellow-browed Tit
The Yellow-browed Tit is a species of bird in the family Paridae. It is placed in the monotypic genus Sylviparus....
would possibly need to be excluded from the Paridae (Jønsson & Fjeldsa 2006). The placement of the Tit-hylia
Tit-hylia
The Tit Hylia is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pholidornis....
within this family is particularly controversial, it having variously been placed with the sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
s, waxbills, honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s and most recently close to the Green Hylia
Green Hylia
The Green Hylia is a songbird species traditionally included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but probably belonging to the bush-warbler family...
.
There are 13 species in 5 genera, following Harrap & Quinn (1996):
Family: REMIZIDAE
- Genus: RemizRemizRemiz is a genus of birds in the Remizidae family, commonly known as the Eurasian pendulines...
- European Penduline TitEuropean Penduline TitThe European Penduline Tit is a passerine of the genus Remiz. It is relatively widespread throughout Eurasia.The Asian species include the Black-headed Penduline Tit, Remiz macronyx, the White-crowned Penduline Tit, Remiz coronatus, and the Chinese Penduline Tit, Remiz consobrinus.It builds an...
(Remiz pendulinus) - Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx)
- Chinese Penduline-titChinese Penduline-titThe Chinese Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family.It is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
(Remiz consobrinus) - White-crowned Penduline-titWhite-crowned Penduline-titThe White-crowned Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan....
(Remiz coronatus)
- European Penduline Tit
- Genus: AnthoscopusAnthoscopusAnthoscopus is a genus of birds in the penduline tit family Remizidae. The genus is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, where it ranges from the Sahel to South Africa. Unlike many of the Eurasian penduline, these species are not generally migratory, instead remaining close to their breeding sites...
- African Penduline-titAfrican Penduline-titThe Grey Penduline Tit , also known as the African Penduline-tit, is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,...
(Anthoscopus caroli) - Forest Penduline-titForest Penduline-titThe Forest Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland...
(Anthoscopus flavifrons) - Southern Penduline-titSouthern Penduline-titTh Cape Penduline Tit or Southern Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe....
(Anthoscopus minutus) - Mouse-coloured Penduline-titMouse-coloured Penduline-titThe Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family.- Range and population :This species has an extensive range in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 550,000 km2.- Habitat :Its natural habitats are...
(Anthoscopus musculus) - Yellow Penduline-titYellow Penduline-titThe Yellow Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and Togo.Its natural habitat is dry...
(Anthoscopus parvulus) - Sennar Penduline-titSennar Penduline-titThe Sennar Penduline-tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family.It is found in Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan....
(Anthoscopus punctifrons)
- African Penduline-tit
- Genus: Cephalopyrus
- Fire-capped TitFire-capped TitThe Fire-capped Tit is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. The species was once considered to be a kinglet but is today treated as a penduline tit, although this is sometimes disputed. It is placed in a monotypic genus, Cephalopyrus.It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal,...
(Cephalopyrus flammiceps)
- Fire-capped Tit
- Genus: Auriparus
- VerdinVerdinThe Verdin is a species of penduline tit. It is the only species in the genus Auriparus, and the only species in the family to be found in the New World....
(Auriparus flaviceps)
- Verdin
- Genus: Pholidornis
- Tit-hyliaTit-hyliaThe Tit Hylia is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pholidornis....
(Pholidornis rushiae)
- Tit-hylia
External links
-
- Penduline tits photos & videos on the Internet Bird Collection