Poecile

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. This is supported by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis.

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.

Species

 * White-browed Tit, Poecile superciliosus
 * Sombre Tit, Poecile lugubris
 * Caspian Tit, Poecile (lugubris) hyrcanus - often included in P. lugubris
 * Varied Tit, Poecile varius
 * White-fronted Tit, Poecile semilarvatus
 * Père David's Tit, Poecile davidi
 * Willow Tit, Poecile montanus
 * Songar Tit, Poecile (montanus) songarus - often included in P. montanus
 * Sichuan Tit, Poecile weigoldicus
 * Marsh Tit, Poecile palustris
 * Black-bibbed Tit, Poecile hypermelaenus
 * Mexican Chickadee, Poecile sclateri
 * Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis
 * Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus
 * Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli
 * Siberian Tit/Grey-headed Chickadee, Poecile cinctus
 * Boreal Chickadee, Poecile hudsonicus
 * Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens