Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea Scientific name definitions

20–21 cm; 35–49 g. Largest member of family; strikingly black and yellow, with long bright yellow (or black) floppy crest, long and slightly graduated tail. Male nominate race has forehead, crown and crest bright sulphur-yellow; rest of head, upperparts, including wing and tail, and chin, throat and breast glossy greenish black, some individuals with outer tail feathers narrowly tipped whitish; underparts below breast, including axillaries and underwing-coverts, bright yellow; iris brown to reddish brown; bill black or bluish slate-grey; legs blue-grey, sometimes tinged greenish. Female is very like male, but slightly duller or sooty brown, and glossed greenish. Juvenile is as female but lacking gloss, has crest shorter and more rounded, narrow pale yellow or whitish tips on greater coverts and occasionally primary-coverts, underparts duller yellow, young male may show bluish gloss on upperparts from early age. Races differ little: <em>seorsa</em> is as nominate, but yellow areas of plumage slightly paler, and may have black shaft-streaks in crest; <em>flavocristata</em> is as nominate but crest shorter, juvenile has dark shaft-streaks in crest and occasionally white tips on tertials and secondaries; <em>gayeti</em> is distinctive, has forehead, crown and crest black (not yellow), black upperparts only lightly glossed bluish, female browner and with generally duller greenish gloss.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Edges of lowland and submontane (also lower montane) deciduous, mixed deciduous and evergreen forests, also light forest with bamboo, secondary growth, scrub and edges of cultivation. Breeds mostly below 1220 m in SC China, but occurs to 1370 m in Nepal, 1900 m in Sikkim, 1600m in Arunachal Pradesh, at 200–2000 m in Bhutan, to 1680 m in N Myanmar, 1000 m in Thailand and 1220 m in Malay Peninsula (but to 1500 m in Cameron Highlands); in C Vietnam, rare below 200 m and frequent at c. 1400 m.

Diet chiefly small invertebrates and larvae, principally grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera), mantises (Mantidae) and spiders (Araneae); also some fruit , mainly berries, also seeds. Usually in pairs and in family groups of up to twelve individuals; also in mixed-species foraging flocks with sibias and other small babblers (Timaliidae). Forages usually in foliage of upper and canopy levels of trees, when often inconspicuous, but also sits in the open on tops of trees; occasionally also in middle levels or tops of taller undergrowth and bamboo. Active and somewhat acrobatic in foraging motions, but rather more lethargic than other parids, and movements often rather stiff. Flits between branches, and agile when in flight through forest, but in open areas flight fairly fast and bounding. Gleans items from substrate; also hovers briefly on outside of foliage, and occasionally catches insects in flight.

Generally fairly vocal. Calls include flat but stony or rattling “chi-dip, tri-trip” or similar metallic “tji-jup”, also a harsh and explosive “krssh-krssh” or slightly longer “krsshup-krsshup”, and a faster and shrill whistled “tria-tria-tria” or “tcheery-tcheery-tcheery”, usually with rising pitch, or harsher “squear-squear-squear”; also utters short and squeaky “whit” or “quit” and louder and ringing “weet”, “vheet” or “zeeent-zeeent”. Song a series of up to 5 loud, clear and ringing “chew” or “kree” or “piu” whistles, frequently repeated, also as more squeaky “pree-yit, pree-yit, pree-yit”, strident but downslurred “fyu-fyu-fyu-fyu” and rapid, shrill “chit-ter-der chit-ter-der”, likewise repeated several times.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fairly common in Bhutan and E Himalayas, and rare in W Himalayas, Nepal and Sikkim; local and uncommon in S China, and on Hainan recorded from only four forest sites; locally common to uncommon in Thailand, and fairly common in C Vietnam; uncommon or scarce throughout most of Myanmar, but locally common in Kachin Hills. Formerly occurred in Bangladesh, but no recent records. Status in Sumatra uncertain, although race flavocristata apparently described from there; possibly a rare resident, but known only from a single record of a small party in forest canopy at 100 m in Utara in 1938; 19th-century reports from Sumatra not verifiable, as specimens apparently lost. Population decline recorded in W Himalayas and N India considered directly attributable to habitat destruction.