Sombre tit

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Sombre tit
Poecile lugubris, Bulgaria 1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species:
P. lugubris
Binomial name
Poecile lugubris
(Temminck, 1820)
Parus lugubris. Distribution map.png
Range of Poecile lugubris
Synonyms

Parus lugubris

Poecile lugubris - (MHNT) Poecile lugubris MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.181.20.jpg
Poecile lugubris - (MHNT)

The sombre tit (Poecile lugubris) is a member of the tit family found in southeast Europe and southwest Asia. Sombre tits occur in low density in thin woodlands at the elevation range between 1000 and 1600 metres above sea level.

Similar to the other tit species, the sombre tit is a cavity-nesting species, which makes the nests in the holes in juniper, willow, poplar, and other relevant tree species. In some cases they nest in iron pipes (e.g. the ones used for orchard fencing), and in artificial nest-boxes. [2]

The clutch usually consists of 4 to 9 eggs, having two clutches per year. They breed on mountain slopes, in open deciduous forest, lower down on in trees and bushes in rocky terrain, and in fruit orchards. The breeding season lasts from early April until the beginning of August. [2]

Their diet mainly consists of insects, [2] especially caterpillars and other larvae. [3] It forages on the ground and in lower branches. [3]

Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the sombre tit is sister to the white-browed tit (Poecile superciliosus). [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. BirdLife International (2017). "Poecile lugubris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T103761494A112869701. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103761494A112869701.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "State of Sombre Tit in Armenia". Armenian Bird Census Council. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 Dimitrova, Marta; Brambilla, Mattia; Nikolov, Boris P. (2020-07-01). "Habitat preferences of Sombre Tit (Poecile lugubris) in a karst environment". Ornis Fennica. 97 (2). doi:10.51812/of.133968. ISSN   0030-5685.
  4. Johansson, Ulf S.; Ekman, Jan; Bowie, Rauri C. K.; Halvarsson, Peter; Ohlson, Jan I.; Price, Trevor D.; Ericson, Per G. P. (2013). "A complete multilocus species phylogeny of the tits and chickadees (Aves: Paridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 69 (3): 852–860. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.019. PMID   23831453.
  5. Tritsch, Christian; Martens, Jochen; Sun, Yue-Hua; Heim, Wieland; Strutzenberger, Patrick; Päckert, Martin (2017). "Improved sampling at the subspecies level solves a taxonomic dilemma – A case study of two enigmatic Chinese tit species (Aves, Passeriformes, Paridae, Poecile)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 107: 538–550. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.014. PMID   27965081.