The fire-capped tit (Cephalopyrus flammiceps ) is a small, 10 cm (3.9 in) long, weighing about 7 g (0.25 oz) bird species assigned to the family Paridae, that breeds in the temperate forest bordering the Himalayas to the south, in the Hengduan Shan and Nujiang Shan on the Myanmar-China border, the Micah Shan and Daba Shan on the Northern Sichuan border. It winters down hill and further south. Further to the east, birds tend to be smaller and the plumage becomes gradually darker.
The fire-capped tit occurs in forest, woodlands and regions with solitary trees. It prefers temperate rainforest and mixed deciduous forest with oak, hazel, elm and walnut, just below the conifer belt. At higher altitudes it frequents clusters of cherry and scattered willows. In Kashmir and Ladakh it nests in shrubs at high altitude. In China it is reported in spruce, fir and rhododendron. In Thailand, it stays in deciduous hillside forests. Nesting occurs at different altitudes depending on the region. In Pakistan, the fire-capped tit nests between 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and 2,600 m (8,500 ft), in the northwest of India from 1800 m to 3,500 m (11,500 ft), and in Nepal from 2,135 m (7,005 ft) to 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Western populations winter in the plains of North-Central India. Populations of the eastern Himalayas spend the period from November to May in southern Sikkim, between 300 m (980 ft) and 1,400 m (4,600 ft). In the far east of the breeding range, seasonal migration is less pronounced, and in Sichuan and Burma the birds remain during the winter at relatively high altitudes, around 1800 meters. During the winter it is also found in evergreen broad-leaved forest in Thailand.
The fire-capped tit is not shy. It is always active, giving little wing strokes like a warbler. It is reminiscent of the small tit Sylviparus modestus. During migration and in winter, it is usually found in small flocks, but groups of up to 100 may be seen. Most of the time, these groups, flying high above the bare hills, are monotypic, but they sometimes join mixed flocks when foraging.
The flight is powerful like that of finches. It seeks its food higher up in large trees, but also sometimes in the bushes close to the ground. It is rather agile, adopting acrobatic positions, upside down, or sliding along vertical branches like parrots. This tit is able to open rolled-up leaves with its beak as starlings do, and hold it with its foot.
The fire-capped tit feeds largely on insects but also leaves, flowers, buds and probably pollen and sap. Captured prey is held with the feet and processed with the bill. Large insects are opened and emptied of their contents, the empty carapace being discarded. This practice is quite similar to that of other tits, but unlike them, the fire-capped tit does not cut its prey into small pieces.
The nesting season runs from early April to mid-June. The nest is built in a hollow inside a trunk or large branch. The fire-capped tit prefers cavities with their entrance protected by a branch or scar. It usually uses natural cavities but often takes over an abandoned woodpecker nest. Occasionally, a hollow is excavated where a rotting branch fell off. The nest, usually between 6 and 12 meters above the ground, is often very difficult to detect. The nest itself is a bowl built of dry grass, rootlets and sometimes a few feathers. It is lined with finer grasses and feathers. This is done by the female, while the male protects the territory. There are usually four dull blue-green eggs. The incubation period is unknown. If she is disturbed, she tries to deter the intruders by inflating her feathers and making hissing sounds. It is unknown if the male takes part in incubating. Youngsters are fed by both parents. The female takes care of maintenance and cleaning of the nest on her own.
