Long-tailed Tit
Encyclopedia
The Long-tailed Tit or Long-tailed Bushtit (Aegithalos caudatus) is a common bird found throughout Europe
and Asia
. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996. The majority of relevant research has been directed at its social and breeding behaviour.
group. Parus has since been split from the Aegithalidae, becoming a distinct family containing three genera:
This is the only representative of the Aegithalidae in northern Eurasia
. The Long-tailed Tit exhibits complex global variation with 19 races recognised, divisible into four groups:
Where the groups meet there are extensive areas occupied by very variable ‘hybrids’. The British Long-tailed Tit, subspecies rosaceus, belongs to the europaeus group. Biochemical evidence has shown Aegithalidae to be closely related to the babblers.
with a short, stubby bill
and a very long, narrow tail. The sexes look the same and young birds undergo a complete moult
to adult plumage before the first winter. The plumage is mainly black and white, with variable amounts of grey and pink
Scandinavia
and south into the Mediterranean zone It inhabits deciduous
and mixed woodland with a well-developed shrub layer, favouring edge habitats. It can also be found in scrub, heathland with scattered trees, bushes and hedges, in farmland and riverine woodland, parks and gardens. The bird's year-round diet of insects and social foraging
bias habitat choice in winter towards deciduous woodland, typically of Oak (Quercus sp.), Ash (Fraxinus sp.) and locally Sycamore species. For nesting, strong preference is shown towards scrub areas. The nest is usually built in thorny bushes less than 3 metres above the ground
and The British Trust for Ornithology
(BTO) all list Aegithalos caudatus as a ‘species of least concern’, currently under little or no threat and is reasonably abundant.
Due to their small size they are vulnerable to extreme cold weather with population losses of up to 80% being recorded in times of prolonged cold. It is thought that populations rapidly return to previous levels due to high breeding potential
. Occasional vegetable matter is taken in the autumn.
, feather
s, spider egg cocoons
and moss
, over 6000 pieces in all for a typical nest. The nest is a flexible sac with a small, round entrance on top, suspended either low in a gorse
or bramble
bush or high up in the forks of tree branches. The structural stability of the nest is provided by a mesh of moss and spider silk. The tiny leaves of the moss act as hooks and the spider silk of egg cocoons provides the loops; thus forming a natural form of velcro
. The tit lines the outside with hundreds of flakes of pale lichens - this provides camouflage. Inside, it lines the nest with more than 2000 downy feathers to insulate the nest.
. Further important studies were carried out by Riehm (1970) in Germany
and Nakamura (1962, 1967, 1969, 1972) in Japan
. These works are brought together in a detailed summary by Cramp and Perrins (1993).
Outside the breeding season they form compact flocks of 3 to 30 birds, composed of family parties (parents and offspring) from the previous breeding season, together with any extra adults that helped to raise a brood (see below) These flocks will occupy and defend territories against neighbouring flocks. The driving force behind the flocking behaviour is thought to be that of winter roosting, being susceptible to cold; huddling increases survival through cold nights.
In February–March, all members of the winter flock will pair and attempt to nest, with the males remaining within the winter territory and the females having a tendency to wander to neighbouring territories. The nests are compact, domed constructions made from moss
woven together with spider webs and hair
. The outside is camouflaged with up to 3,000 flakes of lichen
and lined with an average of 1,500 (up to 2,600) small feathers. Nests suffer a high rate of predation with only 17% success.
Pairs whose nests fail have three choices: try again, abandon nesting for the season or help at a neighbouring nest. It has been shown that failed pairs split and help at the nests of male relatives, recognition being established vocally The helped nests have greater success due to higher provisioning rates and better nest defence At the end of the breeding season, in June–July, the birds reform the winter flocks in their winter territory.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996. The majority of relevant research has been directed at its social and breeding behaviour.
Taxonomy
The Long-tailed Tit was first classified as a true tit of the ParusParus
Parus is a genus of Old World birds in the tit family. As defined here, it contains the following species:* Genus Parus** White-shouldered Tit Parus guineensis, sometimes separated in Melaniparus...
group. Parus has since been split from the Aegithalidae, becoming a distinct family containing three genera:
- Aegithalos (long-tailed tits), five species including A. caudatus
- Psaltria (Pygmy TitPygmy TitThe Pygmy Tit is a species of bird in the long-tailed tit family Aegithalidae. It is monotypic within the genus Psaltria. The species was once placed, along with the rest of its family, with the true tits, Paridae...
), monotypicMonotypicIn biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and... - Psaltriparus (BushtitBushtitThe Bushtit is a long-tailed tit found in North America. It is the only species in the family found in the New World, and the only member of the genus Psaltriparus....
), monotypic.
This is the only representative of the Aegithalidae in northern Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. The Long-tailed Tit exhibits complex global variation with 19 races recognised, divisible into four groups:
- the caudatus group in northern Europe and Asia. A. c. caudatus has a pure white head
- the europaeus group in southern and western Europe, north-east ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Separating rosaceus from other members of the Europaeus group though is problematic, relying on varying thickness of the crown stripes and amount of streaks and colour on the underparts - the alpinus group in Mediterranean Europe and south-west Asia.
- the glaucogularis group in China.
Where the groups meet there are extensive areas occupied by very variable ‘hybrids’. The British Long-tailed Tit, subspecies rosaceus, belongs to the europaeus group. Biochemical evidence has shown Aegithalidae to be closely related to the babblers.
Description
This species has been described as a tiny (at only 13–15 cm in length, including its 7–9 cm tail), round-bodied titTit
TIT, Tit., tit., Tit, or Tits may refer to:- Birds :* Tit , of the family Paridae, including tits, chickadees and titmice* Long-tailed tits, of the family Aegithalidae* Wrentit, of the family Sylviidae...
with a short, stubby bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and a very long, narrow tail. The sexes look the same and young birds undergo a complete moult
Moult
In biology, moulting or molting , also known as sloughing, shedding, or for some species, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body , either at specific times of year, or at specific points in its life cycle.Moulting can involve the epidermis , pelage...
to adult plumage before the first winter. The plumage is mainly black and white, with variable amounts of grey and pink
Distribution and habitat
The Long-tailed Tit is globally widespread throughout temperate northern Europe and Asia, into borealBoreal
Boreal may refer to*Boreal ecosystem**Boreal climate, the climate found in a region of boreal forests, and designated Dfc, Dwc or Dsc in the Köppen climate classification scheme.*boreal forest*Boreal forest of Canada*Boreal Bluet...
Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and south into the Mediterranean zone It inhabits deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
and mixed woodland with a well-developed shrub layer, favouring edge habitats. It can also be found in scrub, heathland with scattered trees, bushes and hedges, in farmland and riverine woodland, parks and gardens. The bird's year-round diet of insects and social foraging
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
bias habitat choice in winter towards deciduous woodland, typically of Oak (Quercus sp.), Ash (Fraxinus sp.) and locally Sycamore species. For nesting, strong preference is shown towards scrub areas. The nest is usually built in thorny bushes less than 3 metres above the ground
Status
Globally, common throughout its range, only becoming scarce at the edge of the distribution The IUCN, Birdlife InternationalBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
and The British Trust for Ornithology
British Trust for Ornithology
The British Trust for Ornithology is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles.-Activities:The BTO carries out research into the lives of birds, chiefly by conducting population and breeding surveys and by bird ringing, largely carried out by a large number of...
(BTO) all list Aegithalos caudatus as a ‘species of least concern’, currently under little or no threat and is reasonably abundant.
Due to their small size they are vulnerable to extreme cold weather with population losses of up to 80% being recorded in times of prolonged cold. It is thought that populations rapidly return to previous levels due to high breeding potential
Food and feeding
The Long-tailed Tit is insectivorous throughout the year. It eats predominately arthropods, preferring the eggs and larvae of moths and butterfliesLepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
. Occasional vegetable matter is taken in the autumn.
Nest
The nest of the Long-tailed Tit is constructed from four materials - lichenLichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
, feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s, spider egg cocoons
Spider silk
Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring...
and moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, over 6000 pieces in all for a typical nest. The nest is a flexible sac with a small, round entrance on top, suspended either low in a gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
or bramble
Bramble
Brambles are thorny plants of the genus Rubus, in the rose family . Bramble fruit is the fruit of any such plant, including the blackberry and raspberry. The word comes from Germanic *bram-bezi, whence also German Brombeere , Dutch Braam and French framboise...
bush or high up in the forks of tree branches. The structural stability of the nest is provided by a mesh of moss and spider silk. The tiny leaves of the moss act as hooks and the spider silk of egg cocoons provides the loops; thus forming a natural form of velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
. The tit lines the outside with hundreds of flakes of pale lichens - this provides camouflage. Inside, it lines the nest with more than 2000 downy feathers to insulate the nest.
Social behaviour
This is by far the most well-studied aspect of the species. Extensive work has been done by Gaston (1973), Glen (1985) and Glen and Perrins (1988), Lack and Lack (1958) at Wytham Wood, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Further important studies were carried out by Riehm (1970) in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Nakamura (1962, 1967, 1969, 1972) in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. These works are brought together in a detailed summary by Cramp and Perrins (1993).
Outside the breeding season they form compact flocks of 3 to 30 birds, composed of family parties (parents and offspring) from the previous breeding season, together with any extra adults that helped to raise a brood (see below) These flocks will occupy and defend territories against neighbouring flocks. The driving force behind the flocking behaviour is thought to be that of winter roosting, being susceptible to cold; huddling increases survival through cold nights.
In February–March, all members of the winter flock will pair and attempt to nest, with the males remaining within the winter territory and the females having a tendency to wander to neighbouring territories. The nests are compact, domed constructions made from moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
woven together with spider webs and hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
. The outside is camouflaged with up to 3,000 flakes of lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
and lined with an average of 1,500 (up to 2,600) small feathers. Nests suffer a high rate of predation with only 17% success.
Pairs whose nests fail have three choices: try again, abandon nesting for the season or help at a neighbouring nest. It has been shown that failed pairs split and help at the nests of male relatives, recognition being established vocally The helped nests have greater success due to higher provisioning rates and better nest defence At the end of the breeding season, in June–July, the birds reform the winter flocks in their winter territory.
Voice
Vocalisations are a valuable aid to locating and identifying these birds. When in flocks they issue constant contact calls and are often heard before they are seen. They have three main calls, a single high pitched ‘pit’, a ‘triple trill’ eez-eez-eez, and a rattling ‘schnuur’. The calls become faster and louder when the birds cross open ground or if an individual becomes separated from the group.External links
- Long-tailed Tit videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Calls of several Long-tailed Tits - a British Library sound recording.