Subgenus Sittiparus, type species Parus varius TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL, 1848

Assigned by PORTENKO and Wolters to Periparus, by Gill et al. (2005) to Poecile (Varied Tits)

Between 1830 and 1966 in Japan 6 hybrids between Parus varius and Parus montanus were reported, the last of which was intermediate in plumage but vocally very close to varius (Mishima 1969) . Does this support the assignment to Poecile ? What criteria for genus status are applied? At least it must be asserted that P. v a r i u s has become rather isolated within Poecile . The relationship to P. semilarvatus (SALVADORI) on the Philippines, which has a quite different, altogether downwardly bent bill, is unclear.