Yellow-cheeked Tit

Machlolophus spilonotus (Bonaparte, 1850)

≈14 cmLength19 gWeight

This mountain forest tit occurs in broadleaf and rhododendron forests at around 2,000 m.

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: China, Thailand, Vietnam

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Yellow-cheeked Tit has been recorded at 207 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Tai Po Kau Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)1,611 records
Doi Inthanon NPThailand837 records
Doi Inthanon NP – Mae Ouam (Km 34.5)Thailand651 records

More places

Tai Lam Country ParkHong Kong (China)474 records
Doi Inthanon NP – summitThailand455 records
Baihualing [General Area]China394 records
Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Lang (W), AKA Doi San JuThailand359 records
Emei Peak NNRChina321 records
Doi Inthanon NP – Checkpoint #2Thailand306 records
Doi Inthanon NP – Jeep Track (Km 37.5)Thailand282 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Thailand Vietnam Bhutan Myanmar (Burma)Laos India

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 yellow-cheeked tit (Machlolophus spilonotus) is a species of bird in the family Paridae. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. Its range extends across the eastern Himalayas, southern China and Indochina.

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

Questions

How big is the Yellow-cheeked Tit?

The Yellow-cheeked Tit is about ≈14 cm long and weighs around 19 g.

Where does the Yellow-cheeked Tit live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Himalayas to south-central Vietnam. It is most often recorded in China, Thailand and Vietnam.

When is the best time to see the Yellow-cheeked Tit?

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

Is the Yellow-cheeked Tit endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow-cheeked Tit as Least Concern.

What does the Yellow-cheeked Tit eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Yellow-cheeked Tit in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈14 cm
Weight: 19 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 76 mm
Tail: 55 mm
Bill: 11 mm
Tarsus: 18 mm

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

Range

Oriental: Himalayas to south-central Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 3

Machlolophus spilonotus spilonotus e Nepal and ne India to n, w Myanmar and sw China
Machlolophus spilonotus subviridis ne India to s, e Myanmar, n Thailand and sc China
Machlolophus spilonotus rex s, se China, n, c Indochina