Père David's tit or the rusty-breasted tit is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae. It is endemic to central China in southern Gansu, western Hubei, southern Shaanxi and Sichuan.
Region
Central China
Typical Environment
Occurs in mountainous parts of southern Gansu, western Hubei, southern Shaanxi, and Sichuan. It favors mature spruce–fir and pine forests as well as mixed temperate broadleaf woodland with rhododendron and oak. Birds also use forest edges, regenerating secondary growth, and shrubby ravines, especially outside the breeding season. Foraging takes place from the understory to the mid-canopy, often by gleaning and hanging to probe cones and twig tips.
Altitude Range
1400–3400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also known as the rusty-breasted tit, this small parid is confined to central China. It frequents high-elevation coniferous and mixed forests where it forages acrobatically among branches. Outside the breeding season it often joins mixed-species flocks. It nests in natural cavities or old woodpecker holes, lining the cup with moss, hair, and plant fibers.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs during the breeding season and in small family parties afterward. In autumn and winter it commonly joins mixed-species flocks with other tits and small insectivores. Nests in tree cavities or old woodpecker holes, lining them with moss, fur, and plant down; both sexes may participate in nest preparation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of clear, thin whistles interspersed with faster, buzzy notes. Calls are scolding, chickadee-like chatter and sharp chips used to maintain contact within flocks.
Plumage
Compact tit with a dark hood and throat, contrasted pale cheeks, gray-brown upperparts, and warm rusty to rufous underparts. Wings and tail are dusky with paler fringes, giving a slightly panelled look. The overall effect is a sharp black-and-white head with a distinctly rusty breast and flanks.
Diet
Feeds on insects, spiders, and their larvae during the warmer months, gleaning from bark, twigs, and foliage. In cooler seasons it supplements with seeds, berries, and conifer seeds. It may cache food items in bark crevices for later use.
Preferred Environment
Forages in montane coniferous and mixed forests, often along edges, clearings, and shrubby slopes. Frequently hangs acrobatically from cones and terminal twigs and also searches among moss and lichens on trunks.
