Yellow tit

The yellow tit (Machlolophus holsti), also known as Taiwan yellow tit and Formosan yellow tit^[2] is a species of bird in the family Paridae. It is endemic to central Taiwan.

Yellow tit
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paridae
Genus:	Machlolophus
Species:	M. holsti
Binomial name
Machlolophus holsti (Seebohm, 1894)
Synonyms[2]
Parus holsti

Its natural habitat is montane temperate forest.

It has a restricted range and small population, and appears to be declining due to large-scale capture for export by the wild bird trade, so it is classed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

The yellow tit was formerly one of the many species in the genus Parus but was moved to Machlolophus after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2013 showed that the members of the new genus formed a distinct clade.^[3][4]

Its length is 13 cm. The yellow tit is mostly yellow, with a crest. The crest and back are blackish blue-grey.^[5]

References

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Machlolophus holsti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22711939A94313030. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711939A94313030.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "Parus holsti". Avibase.
3. Johansson, U.S.; Ekman, J.; Bowie, R.C.K.; Halvarsson, P.; Ohlson, J.I.; Price, T.D.; Ericson, P.G.P. (2013). "A complete multilocus species phylogeny of the tits and chickadees (Aves: Paridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 69 (3): 852–860. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.019. PMID 23831453.
4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Waxwings and their allies, tits & penduline tits". World Bird List Version 6.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
5. Brazil, Mark (2009). Birds of East Asia. A&C Black. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-7136-7040-0.