The fire-capped tit is a small, 10 cm (3.9 in) long, weighing about 7 g (0.25 oz) bird species assigned to the family Paridae, that breeds in the temperate forest bordering the Himalayas to the south, in the Hengduan Shan and Nujiang Shan on the Myanmar-China border, the Micah Shan and Daba Shan on the Northern Sichuan border. It winters down hill and further south. Further to the east, birds tend to be smaller and the plumage becomes gradually darker.
Region
Himalayas and Southwest China
Typical Environment
Breeds in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests from the western and central Himalayas east into the Hengduan and adjacent ranges of southwest China and northern Myanmar. Typical breeding habitats include oak, rhododendron, fir, and mixed conifer–broadleaf forest with dense mid to upper canopy. In winter it undertakes short-distance, downslope movements to lower montane and foothill forests. It is patchily distributed where suitable mature forest persists and often follows flowering and insect abundance.
Altitude Range
1000–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The fire-capped tit is the only species in its genus and is noted for the male’s striking fiery-orange crown. It breeds in temperate montane forests along the Himalayas and adjacent ranges and descends to lower elevations in winter. It often joins mixed-species foraging flocks outside the breeding season, moving nimbly through oak and rhododendron canopies.
Male
Fire-capped Tit: Male, at Delhi, India
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Breeds in pairs or small family groups, nesting in trees or shrubs in well-vegetated montane forest. Outside the breeding season, it commonly joins mixed-species flocks with other small insectivores. It forages restlessly, gleaning and probing among leaves, buds, and flowers.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A thin, high-pitched series of sibilant notes and brief trills, often given from the canopy. Calls include soft tsee and tsip notes exchanged while foraging.
