Sultan Tit

The sultan tit is the largest tit, 20–20.5 cm long and 34–49 g, an Asian forest bird with black upperparts, yellow underparts, a dark bill and, depending on subspecies, a yellow or black crest. The sexes are similar, though the female has slightly duller plumage with greenish-black upperparts and throat, and the young are duller with a shorter crest. The recumbent crest is raised when the bird is alert or alarmed (Wikipedia, general species account).

It forages in the mid and upper canopy, singly or in small groups, mainly for invertebrates and larvae and caterpillars, but sometimes on figs and small berries. The breeding season in India is April to July, and five to seven eggs are laid in a lined tree cavity. SoIB 2023 rates it a Low conservation priority, a resident of forest and plantation with a Moderate range of about 44,200 km² and a stable current trend (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).