Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus)

The Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus) is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae. This species is made up of several populations that were earlier treated as subspecies of the Great Tit (Parus major). These birds are grey backed with white undersides. The Great Tit in the new sense is distinguishable by the greenish-back and yellowish underside. This distribution of this species extends from parts of West Asia across South Asia and into Southeast Asia.

Description: Like others in the genus, it has a broad black ventral line and has no crest. This tit is part of a confusing group of species but is distinct in having a grey-back, black hood, white cheek patch and a white wing-bar. The underparts are white with the black central stripe running along the length. The female has a narrower ventral line and is slightly duller. The upper tail coverts are ashy while the tail is black with the central 4 pairs of feathers ashy on the outer webs and all but the central pair are tipped white. The fifth pair is white with a black rachis and a band of black on the inner web. The outermost pair of tail feathers are all white with a black shaft. The undertail coverts are black towards the centre but white on the sides.

Taxonomy and systematics: Several of the subspecies formerly placed within Parus major are now placed in this species (all of which have a grey rather than greenish back as adults, although young birds show some green on the back and yellowish on the underside). These geographically separated populations show differences mainly in the shade of grey, the extent of white on the tail feathers and in size, although the variation in size is mainly clinal.