The blue tit, or black tit, is widespread in the forests of Eurasia. It is a small and agile bird from the titmouse family with a characteristic black "mask" on its head, for which it got its name.
Origin of the name and habitat of the black tit
The Muscovy Tit because of the black cap on its head and white cheeks is similar to the Great Tit, but differs significantly from it in its smaller size. In addition, the Muscovy has a denser physique, and there is no bright yellow tint in the color of the feathers of the chest and sides.
Many scientists believe that the characteristic cap of black feathers became the basis for the original Russian name for this bird - "masking", with an emphasis on the first syllable. Later, the pronunciation of the word changed, and the stress shifted to the second syllable, acquiring a "metropolitan" sound. However, the black tit has nothing to do with Moscow, although based on the new name "Muscovite" one might think that this bird predominantly lives in the capital of Russia. On the contrary, the Muscovy Tit avoids close proximity to human habitation.
In appearance, behavior and singing, the Muscovy Tit is similar to the Great Tit and Blue Tit.
This bird is found in forested regions all over Eurasia from the British Isles to Japan. It can also be found in northwest Africa. The northern border of the distribution area of the Muscovy Tit runs along the 67th parallel of the north latitude in Scandinavia, and in Siberia it goes south to the 62nd parallel. In the south, the habitats of this bird are limited to the steppe and desert regions.
Muscovy lives mainly in coniferous forests, less often in mixed forests. She prefers calm, remote places from human settlements and highways: dense forests, wooded mountain slopes.
Description of the Muscovy Tit
Muscovy is a small bird of dense and rounded constitution with a short tail. Its body length is approximately 10–11.5 cm, and its weight is 7, 2–12 g. The feathers on the head and back of the head are black, and on the cheeks they are dirty white. In the upper part of the chest there is a shirt-front in the form of a black spot. The feathers on the head of the Muscovy Tit can be elongated in the form of a crest, this feature is more pronounced in the southern subspecies.
The Muscovy Tit is a sedentary species. Only a harsh and hungry winter can force these birds to seek food outside of their permanent habitats.
The back of the black tit is bluish-gray with a brownish tint. The flanks and belly are off-white, while the tail and wings are brown-gray. There are two light stripes on the wings. The characteristic distinguishing features of this species are a black mask on the head, which gave this bird its Russian name, and a small light spot on the back of the head. Depending on the severity of the crest and the peculiarities of color, more than 20 subspecies of the Muscovy Tit are distinguished.
