Parus

Eck, Siegfried, 2006, The Palaearctic Titmouse Species (Aves: Paridae: Parus sensu lato) — A current survey *, Zootaxa 1325, pp. 7-54 : 32

2. Parus [p.] hypermelaenus

P. palustris hellmayri and P. hypermelaenus come very close to one another in China, but there is no known contact zone or proof of hybridisation. Geographical variation in P. hypermelaenus is extremely subtle (cf. the commentary by O. Kleinschmidt 1940 in Falco 36: 29–30. The isolated population on Mt. Victoria was first identified as a new subspecies by Stresemann (in Stresemann & Heinrich 1940: 179), although he did not name it (see also Eck 1980: 144–145, and further refs. there; Harrap & Quinn 1996). The close kinship of hypermelaenus to the Marsh Tit is obvious, but that it is an independent species is hypothetical.

Parus hypermelaenus (BEREZOWSKI & BIANCHI, 1891) [border between S Shaanxi and Gansu; syn.?: dejeani OUSTALET 1897: Tsékou/N Yunnan; poecilopsis (SHARPE, 1902): Ch’ü­tung, W Yunnan].

Outside the Palaearctic P. hypermelaenus ssp. [Mt. Victoria, Myanmar].

The population group: P 29 hypermelaenus , central­SW China. — Figs. Berezowski &

Bianchi 1891: Plate II: 2; Eck 1980b: Plate I; Quinn: Plate15: 47; Falco 34 (1938): Plate II. * Subtle geographic differences in coloration have been discussed, but remain uncertain for lack of material. Even larger throat spot than P 28, shorter­tailed. — Dimensions: see Harrap and Quinn (1996: 244). — TWI of 5 Chinese birds including one paratype 77–81 %, x = 79.5 % ± 1.6.