Black-lored Tit

The Black-lored Tit, Parus xanthogenys, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The Yellow-cheeked Tit is probably its closest relative, and they might be related to the Yellow Tit. These three tits almost certainly form a distinct lineage as evidenced by morphology, and mtDNA cytochrome b sequenceanalysis (Gill et al., 2005). The subgenus name Macholophus may apply for them; placement in Poecile (chickadees and relatives) was apparently proposed^{[citation needed]} but is certainly in error.

This species is a resident breeder in the Himalayas. The race in peninsular India has been split as Parus aplonotus by Rasmussen and Anderton (2005).^[2] It is a common bird in open tropical forests, but does not occur in Sri Lanka. It is an active and agile feeder, taking insects and spiders from the canopy, and sometimes fruit.

It is an easy tit to recognise in most of India, large in size at 13 cm, with a broad black line (broader in the male) down its otherwise yellow front. The large crest, neck, throat and head are black with yellow cheeks and supercilia. Upperparts are olive-green. It has two white or yellowish wingbars and white outer tail feathers.

Females and young birds are duller than males. The underpart colour becomes increasingly dull from north to south through this tit's range.

The Black-lored Tit is, like other tits, a vocal bird, and has a large variety of calls, of which the most familiar is a si-si. The song is a sometimes nuthatch likechi-chi-chi.

Woodpecker or barbet holes are used for a nest, and this species will also excavate its own hole or use man-made sites. The clutch is typically 3-5 white eggs, spotted red. The bird is a close sitter, hissing when disturbed.