Chinese Penduline Tit

The Chinese penduline tit is a delicate, fine-billed wetland bird 10–11 cm long and weighing 8–11 g. Males have a pale grey crown, broad black mask edged white, chestnut half-collar and mantle, sandy-brown back and buff underparts. Females replace much of the black facial area with dark chestnut and appear less contrasting. Outside the breeding season it often gathers into flocks of ten to twenty birds (Hunan Forestry Department; Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in northeastern China, southeastern Russia and Korea and winters more widely through eastern and Southeast Asia. Reedbeds and marshes are especially important, although open plains and sparse woodland are also used. Birds take insects along with weed seeds, berries and plant buds, clinging to reed stems while feeding. The species constructs the characteristic hanging, pouch-like nest of penduline tits from soft plant fibres, suspending it from a tree branch near wetland vegetation (Hunan Forestry Department; Korean nest study 2025).