Long-tailed tit

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Long-tailed tit
Aegithalos caudatus side-on.jpg
A long-tailed tit in Lancashire, United Kingdom
Calls recorded in Cambridgeshire
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Aegithalidae
Genus: Aegithalos
Species:
A. caudatus
Binomial name
Aegithalos caudatus
Subspecies [2]
  • A. c. caudatus – (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • A. c. rosaceus – Mathews, 1938
  • A. c. europaeus – (Hermann, 1804)
  • A. c. aremoricus – Whistler, 1929
  • A. c. taiti – Ingram, W, 1913
  • A. c. irbii – (Sharpe & Dresser, 1871)
  • A. c. italiae – Jourdain, 1910
  • A. c. siculus – (Whitaker, 1901)
  • A. c. macedonicus – (Salvadori & Dresser, 1892)
  • A. c. tephronotus – (Gunther, 1865)
  • A. c. tauricus – (Menzbier, 1903)
  • A. c. major – (Radde, 1884)
  • A. c. alpinus – (Hablizl, 1783)
  • A. c. passekii – (Zarudny, 1904)
  • A. c. trivirgatus – (Temminck & Schlegel, 1848)
  • A. c. kiusiuensis – Kuroda, Nagamichi, 1923
  • A. c. magnus – (Clark, AH, 1907)
AegithalosCaudatusIUCN.svg
Range of A. caudatus
  Resident
  Non-breeding
Synonyms
  • Parus caudatusLinnaeus, 1758

The long-tailed tit or long-tailed bushtit (Aegithalos caudatus) 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 (10 feet) above the ground.

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

The long-tailed tit was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Parus caudatus. [3] The current genus name Aegithalos was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tailed tit. The specific epithet caudatus is the Latin word for "tailed". [4] Linnaeus did not invent this Latin name. "Parus caudatus" had been used by earlier authors such as the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in 1555, [5] the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1599, [6] and the English ornithologist Francis Willughby in 1676. Willughby listed the English name as the "long tail'd titmouse". [7] Its previous common nickname in everyday English was the bum-towel, from the shape of its tail. [8]

The long-tailed tit was originally classified as a true tit of the Parus genus. Since then, it and its relatives have been reclassified as a distinct family, the Aegithalidae, containing three genera:

This species is the only representative of the family Aegithalidae found in northern Eurasia. [9] The long-tailed tit exhibits complex global variation with 17 races recognised, [10] divisible into three groups: [11]

Distribution map of long-tailed tits Schwanzmeise (Aegithalos caudatus) distribution map.png
Distribution map of long-tailed tits
Aegithalos caudatus caudatus with white head in Berlin Parks.Range.Aegithalos.caudatus.caudatus.jpg
Aegithalos caudatus caudatus with white head in Berlin
Long-tailed tit in Russia Long-tailed tit in Russia in the forest.jpg
Long-tailed tit in Russia

The silver-throated bushtit (Aegithalos glaucogularis) from eastern China was formerly considered conspecific with the long-tailed tit, but was later split due to significant plumage and genetic differences. [12] [13]

Where the groups meet, there are extensive areas occupied by highly variable 'hybrids'. The British long-tailed tit, subspecies A. c. rosaceus, belongs to the A. c. europaeus group. [14]

Description

This species has been described as a tiny (at only 13–15 cm (5–6 in) in length, including its 7–9 cm (3–3+1⁄2 in) tail), round-bodied tit with a short, stubby bill and a very long, narrow tail. [11] 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. [11]

Voice

This species is often identified in the field through hearing its distinctive vocalisations. When they are in flocks, they issue constant contact calls, so they 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. These calls become faster and louder when the birds cross open ground or if an individual becomes separated from the group. [15]

Distribution and habitat

The long-tailed tit is widespread throughout temperate Northern Europe and the Palearctic region, extending into the boreal Scandinavia and south into the Mediterranean zone. [16] It inhabits deciduous and mixed woodlands with a well-developed shrub layer and favours edge habitats. It can also be found in scrubland, heathland with scattered trees, bushes and hedges, farmland, riverine woodland, [11] and parks and gardens. The bird's year-round diet of insects and its social foraging behaviour influence its choice of habitat in winter, which is typically deciduous woodland with a canopy of oak, ash and locally sycamore species. For nesting, a strong preference is shown for scrub areas. [16] The nest is often built in thorny bushes less than 3 metres (10 feet) above the ground. [11]

Behaviour and ecology

Food and feeding

The long-tailed tit is insectivorous throughout the year. Its diet consists predominantly of arthropods, with a preference for the eggs and larvae of moths and butterflies. It occasionally takes vegetable matter such as seeds in autumn and winter. [17] [18]

Nest

The nest of the long-tailed tit is constructed from four materials: lichen, feathers, spider egg cocoons and moss, with over 6,000 pieces used for a typical nest. The nest is a flexible sac with a small, round entrance at the 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's silken thread provides the loops, thus producing a natural form of velcro. [19] The tit lines the outside with hundreds of flakes of pale lichens to provide camouflage. The inside of the nest is lined with more than 2,000 downy feathers to provide insulation. [19] The nests suffer a high rate of predation, with only 17% success. [20]

Social behaviour

"Males fighting for the possession of territory. The feathers have been torn from the crown of the defeated and dying rival" (H. E. Howard (1920), Territory in Bird Life, p. 145) Territory in bird life p145 (cropped).png
"Males fighting for the possession of territory. The feathers have been torn from the crown of the defeated and dying rival" (H. E. Howard (1920), Territory in Bird Life, p. 145)
Long-tailed tits resting, mid-afternoon in energy saving anti-parallel paired formation in a willow Antipaired LTTs.jpg
Long-tailed tits resting, mid-afternoon in energy saving anti-parallel paired formation in a willow

Outside of the breeding season, long-tailed tits form compact flocks of six to seventeen birds. These flocks are composed of family parties (parents and offspring) from the previous breeding season, along with any additional adults who helped raise a brood. [21] These flocks will occupy and defend territories against neighbouring flocks. [15] 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. [22] When the breeding season begins, the flocks break up, and the birds attempt to breed in monogamous pairs. [23] Males remain within the winter territory, while females have a tendency to wander to neighbouring territories. [15]

Since long-tailed tits are cooperative breeders, where opposite sex adult relatives are spatially clustered, they risk inbreeding fitness costs. [24] However, such inbreeding fitness costs are avoided by active kin discrimination during mate choice. [24] Kin discrimination appears to be based on distinguishing between the vocal calls of close kin and nonkin. [24]

Pairs whose nests fail have three options: they can try again, abandon nesting for the season, or help at a neighbouring nest. Studies have shown that failed pairs tend to split up and assist with the nest duties of male relatives, [22] [25] [26] recognition being established vocally. [25] The helped nests have greater success due to higher provisioning rates and better nest defence. [22] At the end of the breeding season, in June and July, the birds reform the winter flocks in their winter territory. [15]

Helpers

There is a high nest failure rate due to high predation. If a nest fails after the beginning of May, the failed breeders will not attempt to re-nest, but they may become helpers at the nest of another pair, who are usually related. One study found that around 50% of nests had one or more helpers. By helping close relatives, helpers indirectly benefit in terms of fitness by increasing the survivability of related offspring. They may also gain greater access to mates and territories in the future. Helpers also gain experience in raising young, meaning that their future offspring have a better chance of survival.

Both males and females are equally likely to become helpers. Parents may supplement their own efforts with the help of others, or, at the other extreme, reduce their own efforts in favour of the helpers' efforts. Although the survival rate for adults of both sexes is the same, juvenile males have a higher survival rate than juvenile females. Offspring raised with helpers have a higher survival rate than those raised without. Failed breeders who became helpers had a higher survival rate than those who did not. This may be due to the reduced energy expenditure involved in sharing a nest. This is similar phenomenon to that observed in acorn woodpeckers and green wood hoopoes. However, failed breeders that did not help are more likely to breed successfully in subsequent years, so there may be a cost of helping. This may be due to helpers having relatively poorer body conditions at the end of the breeding season, similar to pied kingfisher and white-winged chough. Successful breeders have a survivability rate around the survivability of failed breeders who became helpers. [23]

Status and conservation

Globally, the species is common throughout its range, only becoming scarce at the edge of the distribution. [11] The IUCN, BirdLife International and The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) all list the long-tailed tit as a 'species of least concern', currently under little or no threat and reasonably abundant. [1] [27]

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. [11]

Citations

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International. (2024). "Aegithalos caudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2024 e.T103871923A264587236. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T103871923A264587236.en . Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  2. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (2020). IOC World Bird List. v10.2. doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
  3. ↑ Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Volume 1 (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 190.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p.  94. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. ↑ Gesner, Conrad (1555). Historiae animalium liber III qui est de avium natura. Adiecti sunt ab initio indices alphabetici decem super nominibus avium in totidem linguis diversis: & ante illos enumeratio avium eo ordine quo in hoc volumine continentur (in Latin). Zurich: Froschauer. p. 617.
  6. ↑ Aldrovandi, Ulisse (1637). Ulyssis Aldrovandi philosophi ac medici Bononiensis historiam naturalem in gymnasio Bononiensi profitentis, Ornithologiae (in Latin). Vol. 2. Bononiae (Bologna, Italy): Franciscum de Franciscis Senensem. pp. 715–720 Lib. 17 Cap. 15.
  7. ↑ Willughby, Francis (1676). Ornithologiae libri tres (in Latin). London: John Martyn. p. 176.
  8. ↑ Thomas, Keith Vivian (1991). Man and the natural world: changing attitudes in England, 1500-1800. London: Allen Lane. ISBN   978-0-14-193604-8. OCLC   644450864.
  9. ↑ Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 132.
  10. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Bushtits, leaf warblers, reed warblers". World Bird List. v8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harrap, S.; Quinn, D. (1996). Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers. Helm Identification Guides. Christopher Helm. ISBN   0-7136-3964-4. OCLC   943928899.
  12. ↑ Harrap, S (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Silver-throated Tit (Aegithalos glaucogularis)" . Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. doi:10.2173/bow.lottit5.02 . Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  13. ↑ Päckert, M.; Martens, J.; Sun, Y.-H. (2010). "Phylogeny of long-tailed tits and allies inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear markers (Aves: Passeriformes, Aegithalidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 55 (3): 952–967. Bibcode:2010MolPE..55..952P. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.024. PMID   20102744.
  14. ↑ Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 133.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Gaston, A.J. (1973). "The ecology and behaviour of the long-tailed tit". Ibis. 115 (3): 330–351. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1973.tb01974.x.
  16. 1 2 Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 134.
  17. ↑ "Aegithalos caudatus (Long-tailed tit)". Animal Diversity Web .
  18. ↑ Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 136.
  19. 1 2 Hansell, Michael Henry (2007). Built by animals: the natural history of animal architecture . Oxford University Press. pp.  76, 77. ISBN   978-0-19-920556-1.
  20. ↑ Hatchwell, B.J.; Russell, A.F.; Fowlie, M.K.; Ross, D.J. (1999). "Reproductive success and nest-site selection in a cooperative breeder: effect of experience and a direct benefit of helping" (PDF). Auk. 116 (2): 355–363. doi:10.2307/4089370. JSTOR   4089370.
  21. ↑ Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 138.
  22. 1 2 3 Glen, N.W.; Perrins, C.M. (1988). "Cooperative breeding by long-tailed tits" (PDF). British Birds. 81 (12): 630–641.
  23. 1 2 McGowan, A.; Hatchwell, B.J.; Woodburn, R.J.W. (2003). "The effect of helping behaviour on the survival of juvenile and adult long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudatus". Journal of Animal Ecology. 72 (3): 491–9. Bibcode:2003JAnEc..72..491M. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2003.00719.x .
  24. 1 2 3 Leedale AE, Simeoni M, Sharp SP, Green JP, Slate J, Lachlan RF, Robinson EJ, Hatchwell BJ (July 2020). "Cost, risk, and avoidance of inbreeding in a cooperatively breeding bird". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 117 (27): 15724–30. Bibcode:2020PNAS..11715724L. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1918726117 . PMC   7355050 . PMID   32571952.
  25. 1 2 Hatchwell, J.; Ross, D.J.; Fowlie, M.K.; McGowan, A. (2001). "Kin discrimination in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 268 (1470): 885–890. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1598. PMC   1088684 . PMID   11370960.
  26. ↑ Sharp, S.P.; Simeoni, M.; Hatchwell, B. (2008). "Dispersal of sibling coalitions promotes helping among immigrants in a cooperatively breeding bird". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 275 (1647): 2125–30. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0398 . PMC   2603207 . PMID   18522914.
  27. ↑ Robinson, R.A. (1967). BirdFacts: Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. Vol. 12. British Trust for Ornithology. Retrieved 30 March 2018.

General and cited references

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