Long-tailed tit: the bird profiles

Hannah
Hannah
Hannah
Hannah

I am particularly interested in garden wildlife which is why I did my Master's degree with a focus on "animal ecology". I am convinced that beneficial insects and wildlife are a sustainable and effective alternative to many of the products we use on our plants. I am also a passionate birdwatcher and rarely go for a walk without my binoculars.

Favourite fruit: kiwi, apple and redcurrant
Favourite vegetables: tomatoes and green beans

Want to learn how to attract one of the cutest birds in the UK to your garden? Here’s everything you should know about the long-tailed tit.

A long-tailed tit perches on a branch
A bundle of cuteness!

Long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) are incredibly cute. The small, black and white birds are just 5 centimetres long without their tail and look like little shuttlecocks darting through the branches of trees. Even more so in winter, when the songbirds fluff their feathers to protect against the cold. The tail, from which the tit’s name is derived, gives the songbird fabulous balance, and allows it to perform surprisingly graceful manoeuvres on very fine branches, despite its portly appearance. Curiously though, long-tailed tits are not particularly related to blue tits or great tits. Read on to find out how to identify and give a home to long-tailed tits.

Long-tailed tit: key facts

SizeAbout 14cm
WeightAbout 10g
Breeding seasonMarch-June
LifespanApproximately 5 years
HabitatForests, parks and gardens with a lot of undergrowth
Food preferencesInsects, spiders, seeds and nuts
ThreatsDecline in natural habitat and food supply

How to recognise the long-tailed tit

Long-tailed tits have distinctive black and white wings, black backs and pink shoulders. Their abdomens and faces are off-white, and their flanks are slightly tinged with pink. Meanwhile, the songbird’s long, dark tail is, unsurprisingly, more than half the length of its body. Unfortunately, male and female long-tailed tits are indistinguishable.

The subspecies Aegithalos caudatus europaeus, in Central Europe, is also characterised by a dark stripe across the eyes, whilst Aegithalos caudatus caudatus, a native of Northern Europe, has a pure white head.

A long-tailed tit displays its tail
The tail of a long-tailed tit is, you guessed it, long; more than half the length of its body [Photo: Erni/ Shutterstock.com]

How to recognise a young long-tailed tit

Young long-tailed tits are just as distinctive as their parents: look out for small bodies and long tails. One difference you may be able to spot, however, is the red rings around their eyes, which are accentuated by their dark foreheads and faces. They also lack their parent’s pink shoulders.

A long-tailed tit chick perches on a branch
Young tailed tits have dark faces [Photo: tony mills/ Shutterstock.com]

How to recognise a long-tailed tit egg

Long-tailed tits lay between 7 and 12 dull white eggs per brood, each about 1.4 centimetres in height and covered with brown and grey speckles. The eggs are laid in an elaborate, egg-shaped nest with a side entrance, made from moss, plant fibre, feathers, cobwebs and hair.

What is the perfect habitat for long-tailed tits?

Long-tailed tits are most happy in mixed and deciduous forests, as well as structured parks, gardens and open areas. The tits are especially concerned with dense undergrowth, and look out for hedges, bushes and shrubs.

A long-tailed tit hides in dense vegetation
The long-tailed birds feel at home in dense vegetation [Photo: Sandra Standbridge/ Shutterstock.com]

Where do long-tailed tits build their nests?

Long-tailed tits build their nests in dense vegetation. This could be a shrub close to the ground or in the fork of a tall tree. In any case, it will be built with a lot of care; long-tailed tits can take up to 3 weeks to weave the nesting material tight into a dense sphere and camouflage the nest with lichen or bark.

A long-tailed tit looks up from its nest
Long-tailed tits build spherical nests [Photo: Andi111/ Shutterstock.com]

When is breeding season for long-tailed tits?

Long-tailed tits breed from March to June, usually raising just one brood in this time. The eggs are incubated by the female for about 14 days, whilst the male supplies her with food. After hatching, the young birds are fed in the nest. Curiously, depending on the number of eggs, other birds may help the parents feed their chicks. Usually, these helpers are closely related to the male and unmated, or they have failed to breed with their partner.

Where do long-tailed tits spend winter?

Our long-tailed tits remain in the UK throughout winter. The small birds are very sensitive to the cold and so tend to sleep together, snuggled in small groups whilst perched on branches or hiding in protective bushes. They are so sensitive, in fact, that hard winters can have severe consequences for long-tailed tit populations.

What does a long-tailed tit’s song sound like?

The sound of a long-tailed tit singing is a rare treat, as it is quite inconspicuous. It consists of quiet and high-pitched twittering and trilling. In addition to singing, the little bird also has several calls: from a purring “Zerrr” and a three-syllable “Sri-sri-sri” to a clicking “Teck”.

Help the long-tailed tit!

Urbanisation is costing wild birds their habitat, with dense undergrowth, fields bounded by woodland, and forests becoming a rarity. Many of these birds are seeking refuge in parks or wild gardens. Read on to find out how you can give the long-tailed tit a home in your garden.

A long-tailed tit perches on a branch
You can find long-tailed tits in parks and gardens

What do long-tailed tits eat?

Long-tailed tits feed mainly on insects and other small animals. In winter, however, these are in short supply, so the tit will feed on plant-based foods such as seeds and berries.

You can help the small songbirds through the cold season by offering grains and fatty foods. Peanuts and other oil-rich seeds are great because they provide a lot of energy.

Which bird boxes are suitable for long-tailed tits?

The classic birdhouse, perfect for blue tits and great tits, is rarely used by long-tailed tits. If you would like to give it a shot though, look for a fully enclosed bird box, with a 3cm wide entrance hole. You can also find out how to make your own bird box in our article.

If another bird uses your nesting box, have no fear, long-tailed tits generally prefer their own nests anyway. You can still help them by offering bushy hedges and shrubs, which serve as perfect nesting sites. We particularly recommend dense or thorny plants, such as wild roses, which protect the tit from cats and other predators.

A close-up of thorns on a branch
Thorns provide good protection against predators [Photo: surowa/ Shutterstock.com]

How can I support long-tailed tits even more?

Bird seed can be a lifesaver for wild birds, especially in the colder months. Nevertheless, you should never think of it as more than supplementary; it is vital to promote the birds’ natural food supply. For long-tailed tits, as with many other garden birds: insect protection is bird protection. By designing an insect-friendly garden, you not only attract many beneficial insects to your garden, but offer wild birds a rich food supply. Growing a flower meadow, for example, attracts pollinators, pest controllers and other small animals to your garden.

And do avoid chemical pesticides. They often contain toxic substances that not only kill insects, but can, through the food chain, poison the birds.

Incidentally, many other omnivorous garden birds, such as the dunnock and spotted flycatcher will thank you for a poison-free and sustainable garden!

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