White-bellied Tit Melaniparus albiventris Scientific name definitions

14–15 cm. Large, black tit with white belly and much white in wing. Male has entire head and upperparts , including tail, black, in fresh plumage glossed bluish; tail narrowly tipped white, and outer feathers fringed white (broadest or most white on outermost); lesser upperwing-coverts black, tips of longest ones white, median coverts white, greater coverts black, broadly fringed white, alula black, finely fringed white; flight-feathers black, fringes of lower tertial white (may also be white on central tertial), secondaries narrowly fringed white, becoming more broadly fringed on inners (forming broken white panel on closed wing), primaries also narrowly fringed white or whitish; chin to centre of breast black (black sometimes extending to upper flanks), slightly glossed blue, sharply demarcated from white rest of underparts ; axillaries black, underwing-coverts white; in worn plumage, duller or browner on head and breast, and white in wing and tail abraded, revealing darker centres of feathers; iris dark brown or black; bill black; legs bluish-grey or black. Female is duller than male, sooty black or browner, less glossy, and underparts duller or greyer. Juvenile is as female, but sooty brown above, wings and tail sooty black, white on wing-coverts buff or washed yellowish, no white tips on tail, and throat may be slightly paler.

Calls  include harsh, nasal “si-chah-chah-chah”, often given with emphasis in scolding alarm, also a similar but thinner or more musical “tss-tss-tss, cher-cher-cher-cher”; contact calls include “twach-twach-twach” or “chrip-twsich-twach”, and also gives sharp “tss, tsee” phrases, often in longer series e.g. “tss, tss, tss, tsee”. Song  , apparently infrequently heard, “chee-er-weeoo, chee-er-wheeo”, and a soft and repeated, warbling “pee-pee-purr”.