About Parus xanthogenys Vigors, 1831
The Himalayan black-lored tit, also called simply the black-lored tit, is a passerine bird that belongs to the tit family Paridae. Its scientific name has been recorded as both Parus xanthogenys Vigors, 1831 and Machlolophus xanthogenys. The yellow-cheeked tit is likely this species' closest relative, and it may also be related to the yellow tit. According to morphology and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis published by Gill et al. in 2005, these three tits almost certainly form a distinct lineage. The term "lore" in the species' common name refers to the area of a bird's body between the eye and the bill. This species is a resident breeder found along the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent, including Nepal. In the Nepali language, this species is called "Pandu Chichilkote". It is an active and agile feeder. It obtains insects and spiders from the forest canopy, and will sometimes also eat fruit. For nesting, it uses holes originally created by woodpeckers or barbets. It may also excavate its own nesting hole, or use man-made sites for nesting. The Himalayan black-lored tit was previously classified as one of many species in the genus Parus. It was moved to the genus Machlolophus after a 2013 molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the members of this new genus formed a distinct clade.
