Poecile is a genus of bird in the tit family that is often lumped into the genus Parus. It has 13–15 species, which are scattered across North America, Europe and Asia; the North American species are the chickadees. In the past, most authorities retained Poecile as a subgenus within the genus Parus, but treatment as a distinct genus, initiated by the American Ornithologists Union, is now widely accepted.^[1] This is supported by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis.^[2]

The genus name has traditionally been treated as feminine (giving name endings such as cincta); however, this was not specified by the original genus author Johann Jakob Kaup, and under the ICZN the genus name must therefore be treated by default as masculine, giving name endings such as cinctus.^[1]

Species

• Sombre Tit, Poecile lugubris
• Caspian Tit, Poecile hyrcanus - often included in P. lugubris^[1]
• Marsh Tit, Poecile palustris
• Willow Tit, Poecile montanus
• Black-bibbed Tit, Poecile hypermelaenus
• Songar Tit, Poecile songarus - often included in P. montanus^[1]
• Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis
• Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus
• Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli
• Mexican Chickadee, Poecile sclateri
• White-browed Tit, Poecile superciliosus
• Père David's Tit, Poecile davidi
• Grey-headed Chickadee, Poecile cinctus
• Boreal Chickadee, Poecile hudsonicus
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens

Footnotes

References

• del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A., & Christie D. (eds). (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2
• Gill, F. B., Slikas, B., & Sheldon, F. H. (2005). Phylogeny of titmice (Paridae): II. Species relationships based on sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. Auk 122: 121-143. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0121:POTPIS]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract