Long Tailed Tit Facts (Aegithalos Caudatus)

Size: 14 cm head to tail

Weight: 8g

Wingspan: 16 – 19 cm

Eggs: 8 - 12 per brood

Food: Insects, peanuts, mealworms, berries and suet

Nesting: Woven spider webs into balls of feathers, moss and lichen.

Population: Stable

Song: A twittering call; typically “tsee-tsee-tsee” and “tsirrup”

The Long Tailed Tit is one of our most sociable garden birds. It is easily recognised because of its distinctive black/white/pinkish colouring and its long tail that is longer than its body. Its Latin name is Aegithalos caudatus, the species is part of the Aegithalidae family, not the Paridae family (Tit family). They gather in energetic flocks of around 20 birds and huddle together along branches to keep warm.

Appearance

An adorable, fluffy and small bird which has pinkish colourings. The shoulders and breast are pinkish and the head is white with black markings above the eye and into the nape. They also have red eye rings and a black bill. Their black and white tail is the longest tail of any British bird in proportion to its body. Juveniles lack the pink and appear almost black and white.

Where they are found and what they like to eat

Long tailed tits are noisy residents who are noticed in small flocks of around 20 birds which all twitter constantly to each other. They search woods and hedgerows for food, they are also seen in bushes all across the UK except for in the North and West of Scotland. You can spot these birds all year round flitting between branches in search for insects and berries.

They are energetic birds which can hang upside down off branches like the Blue Tit. They feed on insects, berries, spiders and insect larvae. In winter they may visit garden feeders in search for peanuts, suet, mealworms and seed mixes. We offer peanuts and a range of suet products which are a favourite of this bird. During harsh weather these birds will readily accept seeds from feeders so we recommend offering one of our feeder mixes in your garden.

Breeding

They are an abundant breeding resident with around 250,000 pairs of Long Tailed Tits in the UK. The breeding season for this species starts at the beginning of April, with incubation is for 12 – 14 days before the eggs hatch. The female incubates between 6 – 8 eggs per clutch. The eggs are smooth, glossy and white with purplish-red speckles, the average egg size is 14 mm by 10 mm.

They have between 1 - 2 clutches of eggs a year, with the feeding of the young shared between the male and female. It is not uncommon for breeding pairs of Long Tailed Tits to help feed the young of others in their species if they have failed to rear their own young. The young will fledge the nest after a further 14 – 18 days and then live for a further two years.

Nesting and Territory

Long Tailed Tits are considered the masters of nest building as they can make their nests to expand with the growth of the chicks. They do this by weaving spider webs into balls of feathers, moss and lichen. Most Long Tailed Tit nests hold around 1500 feathers! Most of these feathers are found on the ground or taken from dead birds (recycling!).

These birds aren’t particularly territorial due to their social behaviours and sharing the raising of chicks. They have feeding territories which they share with other Tits through the winter.

Extra Information

Long tailed Tit numbers are stable with an increasing population due to milder winters and the increased use of gardens for food sources. In harsh winters the population can dramatically decrease but with a healthy breeding season numbers recover quickly the following years. They huddle together for warmth and frequently share nest boxes during the winter.