Green-backed Tit

Parus monticolus Vigors, 1831

≈13 cmLength14 gWeight

It has a black head, white cheeks, a yellow-green back and two white wing patches.

Busiest months: April · Most records: China, India, Bhutan

Looks like Cinereous Tit

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Crown, sides of neck and jaw black; large white patches on cheeks and ear area
Two white wing patches
Scapulars and back yellow-green, with a thin bright yellow ring at the junction with the black neck
Breast and belly bright yellow, with a single black band running down the center

Male, female and young

Sexes alike in shape and color.

Voice

The call is a repeated clicking squeak.

Similar species

Cinereous Tit

The green-backed subspecies of Cinereous Tit has a very similar back color but only one wing patch; Green-backed Tit has two.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April · Most records: China, India, Bhutan

Green-backed Tit has been recorded at 425 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

SattalIndia1,409 records
Nantou – Meifeng Highland Experimental Farm of NTUTaiwan (China)1,253 records
Munsyari – Bheema WodeyarIndia1,243 records

More places

Dasyueshan IBA – Xiaoxueshan Lodge (50K)Taiwan (China)930 records
Nantou – Xitou Nature Education AreaTaiwan (China)843 records
Dasyueshan IBA – Dasyueshan Forest-Road 23.5KTaiwan (China)837 records
PangotIndia659 records
Yushan NP – TatakaTaiwan (China)622 records
Mt. Phulchowki - Lowest Few Miles of RoadNepal493 records
Mt. PhulchowkiNepal411 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China India Bhutan Nepal Vietnam Myanmar (Burma)Laos Pakistan

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Green-backed Tit?

The Green-backed Tit is about ≈13 cm long and weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Green-backed Tit live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, Oriental: western Himalayas to south-central Vietnam and Taiwan (China). It is most often recorded in China, India and Bhutan.

When is the best time to see the Green-backed Tit?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Green-backed Tit endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Green-backed Tit as Least Concern.

What does the Green-backed Tit eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Green-backed Tit in?

It belongs to the family Tits, Chickadees (Paridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈13 cm
Weight: 14 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 66 mm
Tail: 55 mm
Bill: 11 mm
Tarsus: 17 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic, Oriental: western Himalayas to south-central Vietnam and Taiwan (China)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 3

Parus monticolus monticolus n Pakistan to w Nepal and s Tibet
Parus monticolus yunnanensis e Himalayas and ne India to c China, n Indochina and Myanmar
Parus monticolus insperatus Taiwan (China)