Aegithalos


Aegithalos is a genus of passerine birds in the family Aegithalidae, encompassing majority of the species in the family.

Taxonomy

The genus Aegithalos was introduced in 1804 by the French naturalist Johann Hermann to accommodate a single species, the long-tailed tit. The genus name was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tailed tit.

Species

The genus contains the following nine extant species:
ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Long-tailed titAegithalos caudatusnorthern Europe and the Palearctic, into boreal Scandinavia and south into the Mediterranean zone
Silver-throated bushtitAegithalos glaucogulariscentral and eastern China and south towards Yunnan
White-cheeked bushtitAegithalos leucogenysAfghanistan, Kashmir region, and Pakistan.
Black-throated bushtitAegithalos concinnusfoothills of the Himalayas, stretching across northern India through north-eastern Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, northern Myanmar, China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
White-throated bushtitAegithalos niveogularisIndia, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Rufous-fronted bushtitAegithalos iouschistoseastern and central Himalayas in Bhutan, China, India and Nepal
Black-browed bushtitAegithalos bonvalotimid-southern China and far northern Burma.
Sooty bushtitAegithalos fuliginosuscentral China.
Pygmy bushtitAegithalos exilisIndonesia

Fossil record

  • Aegithalos gaspariki
  • ''Aegithalos congruis''