The
Green-backed tit has an average body length of 12cm and a wing
length of 6.5cm. With the exception of their cheeks, auriculars,
and napes, their black heads and necks are mixed with shimmering
blue feathers. The main characteristics of the Green-backed
tit are the white patches on their cheeks and the black stripe
on the center of their lower bellies, which is narrower on females
than on males. Green-backed tits have yellowish-green backs,
grayish rumps and upper tail coverts, dark yellow abdomens,
and brownish-black wing feathers with blue edges. Their coverts
have two sets of horizontal white lines on them, and their tail
feathers are black with blue edges. Green-backed tits have black
beaks and lead-colored legs and feet.
Behavior:
Green-backed
tits make a variety of beautiful calls. Their diet consists
primarily of insects, and they are often seen alone or in pairs
searching for food amongst tree branches. They are very tame
and friendly birds, and will mingle with other bird groups such
as Formosan yuhinas and Flamecrests. The breeding season for
Green-backed tits falls between April and June, and they usually
build their nests inside notches on electric lampposts, in broken
bamboo poles, or in the holes of decayed trees found in mountainous
areas. Females typically lay a clutch of three to four grayish-white
eggs that are covered with light purple specks. In the winter,
the Green-backed tits will migrate to the lower mountains and
onto the plains at lower elevations, and return to the upper
mountains in the spring to breed.
Habitat:
Green-backed
tits are an endemic sub-species to Taiwan commonly seen in the
mountains at low and middle altitudes, as well as in broad-leaved
forests located at 1000-2500m elevations.
