Parus xanthogenys
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The Himalayan black-lored tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys), also known as simply black-lored tit, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The yellow-cheeked tit is probably its closest relative, and it may also be related to the yellow tit. These three tits almost certainly form a distinct lineage, as indicated by morphology, and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis (Gill et al., 2005).
Lore in the bird's common name refers to the area between eye and bill. This species is a resident breeder along the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent including Nepal. In Nepali, it is known as "Pandu Chichilkote". It is an active and agile feeder, taking insects and spiders from the forest canopy, and sometimes fruit.
It uses woodpecker or barbet holes for nesting, and will also excavate its own hole or use man-made sites. The Himalayan black-lored 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.
Gill, Frank B.; Slikas, Beth & Sheldon, Frederick H. (2005): "Phylogeny of titmice (Paridae): II. Species relationships... Wikipedia →
Recording0:32
India · 2023
© dbeadle · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording2:14
India · 2025
© Sagnik Dutta Roy · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Black-lored Tit sighting in Chitwan National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 323rd most-seen of the 367 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Black-lored Tit in Chitwan National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Himalayan Black-lored Tit sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Himalayan Black-lored Tit sightings, Chitwan National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Jim Corbett National Park (India, about 10%) and Langtang National Park (Nepal, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Himalayan Black-lored Tit is recorded against all the birds logged in Chitwan National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
