White-Naped Tit:
Bird enthusiasts recently documented the white-naped tit in North Karnataka’s Kappatagudda hills for the first time, identifying it by its call.
- White-Naped Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.
- Scientific Name: Machlolophus nuchalis
- It is endemic to India, found in two disjunct populations: in the northwest (Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan) and in the south (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu).
- It is the only pied (black-and-white) tit in India.
- Its upperparts from forehead to tail are glossy black, with a prominent white patch on the lower nape and upper mantle.
- The cheeks and the rest of the underparts are white, with a wide black central band running from throat to vent.
- The wings have a large white patch with a few black bars.
- It is seen in pairs or small family groups.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable