White-browed Tit-warbler

Leptopoecile sophiae Severtsov, 1873

8.5–10 cmLength6.9 gWeight

It has a body length of 8.5–10 cm, and the male has blue-purple underparts and a white supercilium.

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

White supercilium
Pale brown crown
Purple-blue rump and uppertail-coverts
Male has a purple-blue breast and belly

Male, female and young

Male has a purple-blue breast and underparts; female is darker overall, with paler underparts.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

White-browed Tit-warbler has been recorded at 115 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Ile Alatau NP – Big Almaty LakeKazakhstan78 records
Ile-Alatau NP – Tien-Shan Astronomical ObservatoryKazakhstan72 records
Yaozigou Scenic AreaChina58 records

More places

Shugseb NunneryChina50 records
Rubber Mountain PassChina36 records
Baxi ForestChina34 records
Ile-Alatau NPKazakhstan31 records
Gonggangling PassChina30 records
[Ala Archa National Park – Ala Archa Hotel area]Kyrgyzstan27 records
Baizha ForestChina24 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Bhutan Uzbekistan Nepal Tajikistan

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

About

The white-browed tit-warbler (Leptopoecile sophiae) is a species of bird in the family Aegithalidae. The species was first described by Nikolai Severtzov in 1873. It is resident in the Tian Shan and central China as well as in the Himalayas where it is mainly found in winter.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the White-browed Tit-warbler?

The White-browed Tit-warbler is about 8.5–10 cm long and weighs around 6.9 g.

Where does the White-browed Tit-warbler live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: central, south-central. It is most often recorded in China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

When is the best time to see the White-browed Tit-warbler?

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

Is the White-browed Tit-warbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-browed Tit-warbler as Least Concern.

What does the White-browed Tit-warbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the White-browed Tit-warbler in?

It belongs to the family Bushtits (Aegithalidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: 8.5–10 cm
Weight: 6.9 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 52 mm
Tail: 56 mm
Bill: 10 mm
Tarsus: 20 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: central, south-central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 4

Leptopoecile sophiae sophiae se Kazakhstan to nw China, nw India and n Pakistan
Leptopoecile sophiae stoliczkae s Xinjiang, w Qinghai and extreme w Xizang (w China)
Leptopoecile sophiae major w Xinjiang and n Qinghai (w China)
Leptopoecile sophiae obscurus c Nepal, s, se Xizang and s, e Qinghai to s Gansu and Sichuan (w China)