The white-browed tit warbler is a
passerine bird in the
bushtit family. It was first described in 1873 by Russian ornithologist
Nikolai Severtzov. James A. Jobling supposed, that the
specific epithet,
sophiae, comes from the female eponym "Sophia"; it might refer to
Sophia Maria Alexandrovna, who was
tzarina of Russia during Severtzov's lifetime. •
L. s. sophiae (Severtzov, 1873) – The
nominate subspecies. It ranges from southeast Kazakhstan to northwest China, as well as northwest India and north Pakistan. •
L. s. stoliczkae (
Hume, 1874) – It is found in China in south
Xinjiang, west
Qinghai and extreme west
Xizang provinces. It has the lightest plumage of the subspecies, and its
buff underparts are more extensive. This subspecies is named for
Ferdinand Stoliczka, the Czech zoologist. •
L. s. major (
Menzbier, 1885) – Found in west Xinjiang and north Qinghai province in China. It has lighter plumage than the nominate race and is relatively drab, but still darker than
L. s. stoliczkae. Found at lower altitudes in heavy forest.
Major means "great" in
Latin. •
L. s. obscurus (
Przewalski, 1887) – Present in central Nepal, south and southeast Xizang and south and east Qinghai to south
Gansu and
Sichuan provinces in China. It is found at higher elevations within the range, preferring moist mountain scrub habitats. Its
plumage is darker than the nominate race, with a more rufous
crown. Interbreeding with the nominate race occurs where their range overlaps in Qinghai and
Gansu provinces.
Obscurus means "dark" or "dusky" in Latin. The exact range boundaries of the subspecies are not well known. The nominate race and
L. s. obscurus form a similar group distinguished by their dark coloration and high altitude homes, whereas
L. s. major and
L. s. stoliczkae form a group distinguished by light coloration and lower altitude range. Since they inhabit different biomes in each group, and are somewhat distinct from the other, it has been proposed that they may actually be two different species. == Description ==