Black-throated Bushtit

The black-throated bushtit, or black-throated tit, is a very small passerine, about 10.5 cm long and 4–9 g, in the family Aegithalidae. The nominate race has a chestnut cap, breast band and flanks, a dark grey back, wings and tail and a white belly. In older sources black-throated tit can also mean the rufous-naped tit or rufous-vented tit, which are true tits. It ranges from the Himalayan foothills across northern India through north-eastern Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, northern Myanmar and Vietnam to Taiwan (Wikipedia, general species account).

The nest of moss and lichen hangs from tree branches. It feeds on small insects and spiders as well as small seeds, fruits and berries, particularly raspberries. Group numbers swell in the non-breeding season, though smaller groups exist year round, and groups often join mixed-species flocks. SoIB 2023 rates it a Low conservation priority, a resident and altitudinal migrant of forest and plantation with a Moderate range of about 129,000 km² and stable long-term trend (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).