Azure Tit

Azure Tit
Azure tit from Kyrgyzstan.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paridae
Genus:	Cyanistes
Species:	C. cyanus
Binomial name
Cyanistes cyanus (Pallas, 1770)

The Azure Tit, Cyanistes cyanus (formerly Parus cyanus), is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout Russia and central Asia.

It is found in temperate and subarctic deciduous or mixed woodland, scrub and marshes. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate. It nests in a tree hole, laying about 10 eggs. The bird is a close sitter, hissing and biting when disturbed. Its food is insects and seeds.

This 12-13 cm bird is unmistakable. The head, tail corners, wing bars and underparts are white. There is a dark line through the eye, and the upperparts are blue.

This is the eastern counterpart of the common European Blue Tit. It will hybridise with that species, but the offspring usually show a blue crown, rather than the white of Azure Tit. The calls are similar to Blue Tit, calling dee, dee, dee or a scolding churr. The song is a tsi-tsi-tshurr-tsi-tsi-tshurr, which has been described as intermediate between Blue Tit and Crested Tit.

Taxonomy

Most authorities retain Cyanistes as a subgenus of Parus, but the American Ornithologists' Union treats Cyanistes as a distinct genus. This is supported by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis which suggests that Cyanistes in not only distinct, but not close to other tits (Gill et al., 2005).

The Azure Tit frequently hybridizes with the Blue Tit in western Russia; the resulting birds are called "Pleske's Tits" (Cyanistes × pleskei) and were once considered a distinct species.

Azure Tit with "Pleske's Tit" below

References

• Vincent van der Spek - Tripreports

• BirdLife International (2004). Parus cyanus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

• Gill, Frank B.; Slikas, Beth & Sheldon, Frederick H. (2005): Phylogeny of titmice (Paridae): II. Species relationships based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. Auk 122: 121-143. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0121:POTPIS]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract

• Harrap, Simon & Quinn, David (1996): Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-3964-4