Rufous-vented Tit (Periparus rubidiventris) [XC111012]
by Frank Lambert from Ganggongling Pass, Jiuzhaigou-Songpan highway, Sichuan, China (song)
Rufous-vented Tit (Periparus rubidiventris) [XC325107]
by Peter Boesman from near summit, Emei Shan, Sichuan, China (call)
Subspecies
Until recently present genus normally subsumed into a broad Parus, and many authors still prefer that treatment. Occasionally treated as conspecific with Rufous-naped Tit (Periparus rufonuchalis). Subspecies beavani not known to interbreed with nominate and has been considered to represent a separate species. Further research is required. Marginally paler birds with different wing proportions from north-central China (north-eastern Qinghai) are genetically different and probably better separated as subspecies whistleri; those of western Sichuan similar to previous but possibly further separable as slightly darker subspecies szetschwanensis.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
rubidiventris (Blyth, 1847) - Western and central Himalayas from Kashmir east to central Nepal.
beavani (Jerdon, 1863) - Eastern Himalayas, central and south-western China (Qinghai east to southern Shaanxi, south to southern Xizang, western Yunnan and northern and western Sichuan) and north-eastern Myanmar.
saramatii (Ripley, 1961) - North-eastern India (Nagaland) and adjacent north-western Myanmar (Mt Saramati).
whistleri (Stresemann, 1931) - Yunnan, Sichuan (s, central China) and north-eastern Myanmar.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet