The pygmy bushtit , also called the pygmy tit, is the smallest species of passerine bird. It is in the Aegithalidae family, containing the long-tailed tits. This drab-coloured bird is endemic to Indonesia, where it is only found in montane forests on the island of Java. It is a social songbird, living in small flocks, and a popular bird among bird watchers at Mt Gede and its adjacent botanical gardens. Relative to other members of the Aegithalidae family, it is not well studied and much remains unknown.
Region
Java, Indonesia
Typical Environment
This species inhabits montane and submontane evergreen forests on Java, favoring mossy, mature forest as well as edges and secondary growth. It uses mid-story to canopy strata, often moving swiftly through tangles, bamboo, and leafy outer branches. It tolerates semi-natural habitats such as botanical gardens adjacent to native forest. Occurrence is most frequent in protected upland reserves and mountain slopes.
Altitude Range
800–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Among the world’s smallest songbirds, the pygmy bushtit is a lively, canopy-dwelling forager that often joins mixed-species flocks. Birders commonly encounter it around Mount Gede–Pangrango and the Cibodas Botanical Gardens in West Java. Despite its popularity, its breeding biology and population size remain poorly documented.
Original drawing of Psaltria exilis, 1838
Pygmy Bushtit
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually travels in small, cohesive flocks and frequently associates with mixed-species foraging parties. Pairs or small groups move methodically through the canopy, maintaining contact with high, thin calls. Nesting is poorly known, but it is thought to place compact nests in dense foliage in montane habitats.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Voice is high-pitched and sibilant, with thin tsee and tsit notes given in quick series. Flocks keep constant contact calls while foraging, with occasional soft trills.
Plumage
Plain, soft-textured plumage with brownish-olive upperparts and paler grayish-buff underparts; overall drab and unpatterned.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods, including insects, larvae, and spiders. It gleans prey from leaves, buds, and twigs, and probes into clusters of moss and lichens. Occasionally it makes short sallies to snatch tiny flying insects.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid to upper canopy of montane forest, along forest edges, and in semi-natural plantings near intact woodland. It often works through bamboo, vine tangles, and leafy outer branches.
