{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | name = Varied tit | image = Varied tit at Tennōji Park in Osaka, January 2016.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=''Sittiparus varius'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T103758876A112809007 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103758876A112809007.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Sittiparus | species = varius | authority = (Temminck & Schlegel, 1847) | subdivision_ranks = Subspecies | subdivision = 5 living, 1 recently extinct; see text | synonyms = * ''Cyanistes varius'' * ''Poecile varius'' * ''Parus varius'' }}
The '''varied tit''' ('''''Sittiparus varius''''') is a perching bird from the tit family, Paridae. It occurs in the eastern Palearctic in Japan, Korea, and locally in northeastern China (southern Liaoning) and extreme southeastern Russia (southern Kurile Islands).
==Taxonomy== The varied tit was described by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck and the German ornithologist Hermann Schlegel in 1845 and given the binomial name ''Parus varius''.<ref>{{ cite book | editor-last=Siebold | editor-first=Philipp Franz von | editor-link=Philipp Franz von Siebold | last1=Temminck | first1=Coenraad Jacob | author1-link=Coenraad Jacob Temminck | last2=Schlegel | first2=Hermann | author2-link=Hermann Schlegel | year=1845 | title=Fauna Japonica | volume=4: Aves | pages=71–72, [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53188923 plate 35] | publisher=Regis Auspiciis | place=Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden) | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53188751 }} Title page dated 1850</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor-last=Paynter | editor-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1986 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=12 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | pages=117–119 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14482234 }}</ref>{{efn|''Fauna Japonica'' was issued in fascicles (parts). Although the description of the varied tit on pages 71-72 was included in fascicles IV-VIII which were published in 1848,<ref>{{ cite journal | last1=Sherborn | first1=C. Davies | last2=Jentink | first2=F.A. | year=1895 | title=On the dates of the parts of Siebold's 'Fauna Japonica' and Giebel's 'Allgemeine Zoologie' (first edition) | pages=149–150 | publisher=Academic Press, [etc.] |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30983080 }}</ref> plate 35 was published with fascicle 2 in July 1845.<ref>{{ cite journal | last1=Morioka | first1=H. | last2=Dickinson | first2=E.C. | last3=Hiraoka | first3=T. | last4=Allen | first4=D. | last5=Yamasaki | first5=T. | year=2005 | title=Types of Japanese birds | journal=National Science Museum Monographs (Tokyo) | volume=28 | pages=1–154 [130] | url=http://ci.nii.ac.jp/els/110004665755.pdf?id=ART0007395376&type=pdf&lang=en&host=cinii&order_no=&ppv_type=&lang_sw=&no=1493156712&cp= }}</ref>}} Until the end of the twentieth century the varied tit was usually placed along with most of the other member of the tit family in the genus ''Parus''. In 2005 the report of a molecular phylogenetic study that examined mitochondrial DNA sequences from members of the tit family, recommended including the varied tit along with around fifteen other species in the resurrected genus ''Poecile''.<ref>{{ cite journal | last1=Gill | first1=F.B. | last2=Slikas | first2=B. | last3=Sheldon | first3=F.H. | year=2005 | title=Phylogeny of titmice (Paridae): II. Species relationships based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-''b'' gene | journal=Auk | volume=122 | pages=121–143 | doi=10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0121:POTPIS]2.0.CO;2 | s2cid=86067032 }}</ref> The authors of a 2013 study that analysed both mitochondrial and nuclear sequences, suggested splitting ''Poecile'' and placing the varied tit and its sister taxon, the white-fronted tit in their own genus ''Sittiparus''. The genus had originally been erected by the Belgium politician and naturalist Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1884 with the varied tit as the type species.<ref>{{ cite journal | last=Selys-Longchamps | first=Edmund de | author-link=Edmond de Sélys Longchamps | year=1884 | title=Considérations sur le genre mélange (''Parus'') | language=fr | journal=Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France | volume=9 | pages=32–78 [58] | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35675531 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor-last=Paynter | editor-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1986 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=12 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=71 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14482188 }}</ref> This proposal was adopted by the International Ornithologists' Union.<ref>{{ cite journal | last1=Johansson | first1=U.S. | last2=Ekman | first2=J. | last3=Bowie | first3=R.C.K. | last4=Halvarsson | first4=P. | last5=Ohlson | first5=J.I. | last6=Price | first6=T.D. | last7=Ericson | first7=P.G.P. | year=2013 | title=A complete multilocus species phylogeny of the tits and chickadees (Aves: Paridae) | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=69 | issue=3 | pages=852–860 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.019 | pmid=23831453}}</ref><ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | title=Waxwings and their allies, tits & penduline tits | work=World Bird List Version 6.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/waxwings/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union| access-date= 15 February 2016 }}</ref>
Owston's tit (''Sittiparus owstoni''), the Iriomote tit (''Sittiparus olivaceus'') and the chestnut-bellied tit (''Sittiparus castaneoventris'') were formerly considered as subspecies of the varied tit, but were promoted to species status following the publication of a phylogenetic study in 2014.<ref name=ioc/><ref name=mckay>{{ cite journal | last1=McKay | first1=B.D. | last2=Mays Jnr | first2=H.L. | last3=Tao | first3=C.-T. | last4=Wan | first4=D. | last5=Higuchi | first5=H. | last6=Nishium | first6=I. | year=2014 | title=Incorporating color into integrative taxonomy: analysis of the Varied Tit (''Sittiparus varius'') complex in East Asia | journal=Systems Biology | volume=63 | issue=4 | pages=505–517 | doi=10.1093/sysbio/syu016 | pmid=24603127| doi-access=free }}</ref>
A number of subspecies have been described, of which one has become extinct in the 20th century:<ref name=ioc/>
* ''S. v. varius'' (Temminck & Schlegel, 1845) - southern Kuriles (Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup), north-eastern China, central and southern Korea, Japan *''S. v. sunsunpi'' (Kuroda, 1919) - Tanegashima *''S. v. namiyei'' (Kuroda, 1918) - Toshima Island, Niijima and Kōzu-shima *''S. v. yakushimensis'' (Kuroda, 1919) - Yakushima *''S. v. amamii'' Kuroda, 1922 - Amami Ōshima, Tokunoshima and Okinawa Island *''S. v. orii'' Kuroda, 1923 Daito varied tit - formerly Daitō Islands (Kitadaitōjima and Minami Daitōjima), extinct c. 1940
== Description == The varied tit is {{convert|12|–|14|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and weighs {{convert|16|–|18|g|oz|abbr=on}}. The wing length is {{convert|6.0|–|7.8|cm|in|abbr=on}}. In the nominate race ''S. v. varius'' the crown, the bill, the throat, the upper breast and the nape are black. Forehead, face, and cheeks are white. Back, wings, and tail are bluish grey. Mantle, lower breast, belly and undertail coverts are chestnut coloured. From the crown to the nape runs a thin white central line. The feet are dark grey.
Its habitat consists of open mixed forests, in particular with the Japanese ''Castanopsis'' species ''Castanopsis cuspidata'' and Japanese larch, coniferous forests with Japanese yews, Cryptomeria (sugi), and pines as well as bamboo forests at mountain slopes and in river valleys.
The varied tit eats a mixed diet consisting of seeds and insects, namely caterpillars.
Its call consists of tiny tones which sounds like ''tzu....tzu....tzu...''
==In culture== In Japan varied tits have been used in a kind of show called "omikujihiki" to draw fortune telling-slips (omikuji). Using a small model Shinto shrine the birds will deposit a coin, ring a bell, open the door, remove a fortune telling slip and return with it. They may also use their beaks to open it by cutting a string or tape.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYDa9gK7TGQ ヤマガラの芸ーその4 おみくじ芸 (Yamagara Bird Tricks Part4) June 12, 2010] Retrieved March 24, 2017</ref><ref>Yamaguchi, Noriyaki [http://www.bird-research.jp/1_shiryo/seitai/yamagara.pdf Varied Tit Yamagara (Jpn) Poecile varius December 14, 2005] ''Bird Research News'' Vol.2 No. 12 Retrieved March 24, 2017</ref>
==Notes== {{noteslist}}
== References == {{Reflist}} *del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A., & Christie D. (eds). (2007). ''Handbook of the Birds of the World''. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. {{ISBN|978-84-96553-42-2}}
== External links == {{Commons|Sittiparus varius}} {{Wikispecies|Cyanistes varius|Sittiparus varius}} * Northern Region Water Resources Office, Taiwan: [http://shihmenreservoir.wranb.gov.tw/econtent/environment/environment05.asp Birds of Shihmen Reservoir] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070324212314/http://shihmenreservoir.wranb.gov.tw/econtent/environment/environment05.asp |date=2007-03-24 }}. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21. * Oriental Bird Club: {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110727154033/http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?action=searchresult&Bird_ID=1292&PHPSESSID=b999e183a96870efb60f128a75e71bc2 Varied tit photos]}}. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21. * Endangered animals of Russia: [http://nature.ok.ru/doc/birds/2_102.htm Тиссовая синица (Tissovaya sinitsa, Varied Tit)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000819043000/http://nature.ok.ru/doc/birds/2_102.htm |date=2000-08-19 }} [in Russian]. Retrieved 2006-NOV-21.
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varied tit Category:Birds of Korea Category:Birds of Japan varied tit varied tit varied tit