Japanese Tit

Known for its beautiful yellowish-green back.

Scientific name	Parus minor
English name	Japanese Tit
Japanese name	四十雀
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Paridae
Genus	Parus
Species	minor
Full length	15cm
Distribution	Distributed across eastern Eurasia and throughout Japan.

Japanese Tit Characteristics and Morphology

A small bird about 15cm long, roughly the size of a sparrow.
The head is round without a crest. It is jet black from the crown to the eyes, with white cheeks. A band of black feathers wraps around the neck. The bill is small and lead-colored. The back is yellow to yellowish-green, fading to gray toward the wing tips. A black band of feathers runs down the chest like a necktie. The belly is white. The tail feathers appear slightly longer than those of a sparrow and are gray.

Male

Closely resembles the female, but the colors on the back are slightly more vivid.
The black band running down the chest is wider than the female's and extends all the way down the belly.

Female

Has slightly more muted colors compared to the male.
The black band on the chest is narrower or may break off partway down.

Song

The Japanese tit's vocalizations include a repetitive "tsupi-tsupi" song and a raspy, chattering "juku-juku" call. The song is frequently heard during the breeding season. Their voices carry well and have distinctive phrases, making them perfect for practicing bird-call identification.

Japanese Tit Ecology

Habitat

Widely seen throughout Japan in wooded parks, forests, and thickets along riverbeds.

Food

Feeds on insects and spiders found in trees.

Life Cycle

Breeds from spring to early summer.

Japanese Tit Photos

Japanese Tit Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

The yellowish-green color of the back is beautiful.

Frequently seen in reed beds along riverbeds.

Japanese Tit Behavior

During the breeding season, they act in pairs while declaring their territory. Outside of the breeding season, they move through trees in small flocks of about several to ten individuals.

Mixed-species Flocks

They sometimes form mixed-species flocks with other small birds such as Varied tits and Long-tailed tits.

Japanese Tit Information

Naming

The scientific name "cinereus" (often associated with related species) means "ash-colored," referring to the grayish tones of the bird.

Japanese Tit Found Locations

Hachioji City

Photographed in a park in Hachioji City in March. As the temperature rose, the number of Japanese tit pairs increased.
They are frequently seen even in urban areas; I once observed one bathing in water collected in a rain gutter the day after a rainfall. Despite their small bodies, their loud voices give them a strong presence. They are familiar birds that can be observed almost whenever you visit a park or forest.