Yellow Tit

Macholophus holsti

Endemic

VOTE FOR TAIWAN'S NATIONAL BIRD

國鳥候選者  背景資料

            Yellow Tit is a small, mostly black-and-yellow bird (13 cm) with a long crest.  The male is strikingly colored with forehead, cheek patch and underparts rich yellow.  The cap, crest, back, wing coverts and vent are black.  Rear of crest white.  Wings light blue with white outer edges.   Female:  Crest slightly shorter, duller with olive-green back; lacks ventral spot.  Juvenile:  Paler with whitish underparts.  Iris, dark brown; bill, black; legs, gray.

            Rare to locally common in central mountain range at 700–2,500 m, in temperate broadleaf and conifer forests.

            Found in ones, twos or small flocks.  Forages for insects in mid-story forest canopy.  May join mixed-species foraging flocks in non-breeding season. 

            Breeds in April.  Nests in a cavity of a tall tree.  Clutch size 3–4 eggs.

            BirdLife International considers this species Near-threatened.  While Yellow Tit may always have been uncommon, the population has been further reduced by felling of broadleaved forests.  It is unable to occupy marginal habitats such as edge and scrub, plantations of conifers and bamboo.  At one time, Yellow Tit was captured during large-scale netting of wild birds for export.  Much of its habitat is now secure in national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

            Also known as Taiwan Tit or Taiwan Yellow Tit, Paris holsti.  Local common name:  Formosan forty tit.

Yellow Tit Art by Wang Chen-Wen

References:  Endemic Species of Taiwan, compiled by Greenland Ecology Conservation Association of R.O.C.

                       www.gio.gov.tw/info/ecology/English