Chinese Penduline Tits

Yeyahu NR is the only known breeding site for Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus) in Beijing.  I have found 2-3 nests at this site in Springs 2011 and 2012.  They are also a regular passage migrant, sometimes in good numbers, and an occasional winter visitor (in the winter of 2010-2011 up to 10 birds were present at Yeyahu but there were none in 2011-2012).  They can be quite elusive in the reedbeds and scrub but their presence is often given away by their distinctive call.  Listen here.

Last week, during my visit to Yeyahu, I enjoyed several encounters with these charming birds and watched a group of 6 birds extremely well from the boardwalk.  Below are a few images.  Chinese Penduline Tit used to be considered conspecific with Eurasian Penduline Tit, which I first saw at Rainham Marshes in the UK, but now it is considered a separate species.

Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus), Yeyahu NR, Beijing
Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus), Yeyahu NR
Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus), Yeyahu NR.
Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus), Yeyahu NR
Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus), Yeyahu NR, Beijing.

4 thoughts on “Chinese Penduline Tits”

  1. Nice pictures. I enjoy these birds and admit I think of these as bandit birds for their distinctive black masks. Thanks too for the link (to Tom’s nice recordings!) I need to see these more often than I do (I think they’re around a good bit), and hopefully working on the call will help me.

    1. Hi Gretchen.. Yes, they do look like bandits! There seems to be a lot around at the moment, so it’s a good time to catch up with them. Learning the call will help a lot. T

  2. What lovely little birds! I hope one day to go birding in your part of the world, and I can only dream of seeing them so beautifully. Thank you!

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