White-browed Tit-warbler

The white-browed tit-warbler (Leptopoecile sophiae) is a species of bird in the family Aegithalidae. The species was first described by Nikolai Severtzov in 1873. It is resident in the Tian Shan and central China as well as in the Himalayas where it is mainly found in winter. Its natural habitat is boreal forests. == Taxonomy and systematics == The white-browed tit warbler is a passerine bird in the bushtit family. It was first described in 1873 by Russian ornithologist Nikolai Severtzov. The genus name, Leptopoecile, comes from Greek leptos, which means "slender" or "delicate". 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. It is more likely, however, that the species epithet refers to Severtsov's wife, Sofia Alexandrovna Poltoratskaya. For about a year (1865-1866) Sophia was a member of Severtsov's expedition to the Tian Shan and Issyk-Kul. She collected plants and insects and, as a talented artist, made many sketches. Four subspecies are recognized: L. s. sophiae (Severtzov, 1873) – The nominate subspecies. It ranges from southeast Kazakhstan to northwest China, as well as northwest India and north Pakistan.…