The ground tit, Tibetan ground-tit or Hume's ground-tit is a bird of the Tibetan plateau north of the Himalayas. The peculiar appearance confused ornithologists in the past who called it as Hume's groundpecker and still later as Hume's ground jay or Tibetan ground jay assuming it belonged to the family Corvidae that includes the crows and jays. Although morphologically confusing, the species has since been identified using molecular sequence comparisons as being a member of the tit family (Paridae) and is the only species in the genus Pseudopodoces. It is found in the Tibetan Plateau of China, India, Nepal & Bhutan.
Region
Tibetan Plateau
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across the Tibetan Plateau north of the Himalayas in China, Nepal, India (Ladakh), and Bhutan. Prefers open alpine steppe, stony plains, and dwarf shrublands with scant vegetation and abundant burrows. It avoids forest and tall scrub, favoring windswept, treeless landscapes. Frequently found around yak pastures and areas with pikas or other burrowing mammals. Nests are often placed in natural cavities or abandoned rodent burrows.
Altitude Range
3200–5200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Tibetan ground-tit or Hume's ground-tit, it was long misclassified as a ground jay due to its long legs, bill, and terrestrial habits. Genetic studies placed it firmly within the tit family (Paridae), and it is the only member of the genus Pseudopodoces. It often nests in abandoned rodent or pika burrows and is exquisitely adapted to windy, treeless high-altitude steppe.
Ground tit at Tso Kar, Ladakh.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, bounding flights
Social Behavior
Forages mostly on the ground, usually in pairs or small family groups, becoming more gregarious outside the breeding season. Territorial during breeding, nesting in burrows or cavities often excavated or adapted from rodent or pika holes. Both parents tend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of thin, tinkling tit-like phrases delivered from rocks or low mounds. Calls are high, sharp chips and chatters, often exchanged between foraging birds to keep contact in open terrain.
