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| Nigel Wedge, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Aegithalos caudatus |
There is perhaps only one word which can accurately describe
Aegithalos caudatus, or the Long-tailed Tit, and that is ‘dainty’.
Weighing as little as a 50p coin (roughly 8-9g/ ¼ - 1/3 oz), these tiny birds
have a delicate black, white and coral pink plumage with, as their name
suggests, a tail which is longer than their bodies. This composition makes them
similar in appearance to the Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba). However the
Long-tailed Tit is more of a garden/hedgerow bird, commonly seen flitting erratically
between trees in large flocks (up to 20 in one party) or picking through the
undergrowth for small spiders, rather than frequenting towns and rooftops as
the Wagtail does. During the Winter, these flocks can also extend to include
many other tits, seen in woodlands, parks and gardens.
Their call is quite distinctive too, a long and low chirrup
(tsirrup) sometimes mixed with a higher, thinner and slightly duller repetition
of seee seee seee. But these notes are still pretty dainty and easily
recognised, helping you to spot one hopping through a nearby bush for insects.
Their nests are also unique and delicate, comprised of a
small, elastic ball of moss which allows for the growth of their chicks, disguised
with spider webs and lichen, and lined with as many as 1500 feathers, into which
they will lay between 8-12 eggs a year. However, given their short lifespans (2-3
years at most), most pairs will only produce 2 broods in their lifetime. Still,
that’s more than enough to keep us enchanted by these miniature Winter wonders.
Facts taken from: the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, and the
RSPB’s ‘Birds of Britain and Europe’ Guidebook by Rob Hume.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/long-tailed-tit/
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/tits-crests-and-warblers/long-tailed-tit
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241302242/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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