Elegant tit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elegant tit |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Paridae |
| Genus: | Pardaliparus |
| Species: |
P. elegans
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| Binomial name | |
| Pardaliparus elegans (Lesson, 1831)
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| Range of Periparus in The Philippines | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Parus elegans |
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The elegant tit (Pardaliparus elegans) is a small, colorful bird that lives only in the Philippines. It's part of the tit family, known for their lively movements and often bright feathers. This special bird is found in many different forests across the islands.
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What is the Elegant Tit?
For a long time, the elegant tit was grouped with many other birds in a big family called Parus. But in 2013, scientists studied the birds' DNA very closely. They found that the elegant tit was actually more closely related to other birds like the yellow-bellied tit and the Palawan tit. Because of this, it was moved into its own group, called Pardaliparus. This helps us understand how different bird species are connected.
How to Spot an Elegant Tit
The elegant tit is a small bird. Both male and female birds look quite similar, but the female is a bit duller in color. There are nine different types, or "races," of this bird. They mostly differ in how much white or yellow spotting they have on their wings and black feathers.
What Does the Male Look Like?
The male elegant tit has a shiny blue-black color on the top of its head, throat, and upper chest. Its neck is black with a bright yellow spot. The back is black with white spots, and the lower back is yellowish-grey. Its tail feathers are black with white edges on the bottom half. The main wing feathers are also edged with white. The face, lower chest, and belly are bright yellow.
What About the Female and Young Birds?
The female bird looks a lot like the male, but her colors are not as bright. Young elegant tits look similar to the adults. They have a yellowish throat and dark streaks that look like a mustache.
Other Features
The bill (beak) of an adult bird is black, sometimes with grey at the bottom. Young birds have a yellowish to yellow-orange bill with horn-colored parts on the top and bottom. Their eyes are dark brown, and their legs are grey.
Where Does the Elegant Tit Live?
This bird is endemic to the Philippines. This means it is found naturally nowhere else in the world! You can find it across most of the islands. It likes to live in two main types of forests:
- Subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest: These are warm, wet forests found in lower areas.
- Subtropical or tropical moist montane forest: These are also warm and wet, but they are found higher up in the mountains.
 | Sharif Bey |
 | Hale Woodruff |
 | Richmond Barthé |
 | Purvis Young |
