Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
Conservation Status
Least ConcernAves · Passeriformes · Aegithalidae
About
The long-tailed tit or long-tailed bushtit is a common bird species belonging to the bushtit family found throughout Eurasia. An insectivore, it inhabits deciduous and mixed woodlands as well as scrub, heathland, farmland, parks and gardens. The plumage of this small long-tailed bird is predominantly black and white with varying amounts of pink and grey. Northern subspecies are paler and have completely white heads, lacking the large dark eyebrows of southern populations. It is a social bird that forms compact family flocks of six to seventeen individuals outside of the breeding season, when these flocks break up. It has a strong preference for nesting in scrub areas and often builds its nest in thorny bushes less than 3 metres above the ground.
Fun Fact
A single long-tailed tit nest contains over 1,500 feathers woven into an elastic, lichen-covered ball, and the structure stretches as the chicks grow inside.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Deciduous woodlands and hedgerows
Diet
Insectivore
Lifespan
2-3 years
Threats
- Illegal Logging
- Deforestation