Willow tit

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Willow tit
Poecile montanus kleinschmidti.jpg
Subspecies kleinschmidti, Wigan, England
Song recorded near Bryansk, Russia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species:
P. montanus
Binomial name
Poecile montanus
PoecileMontanusIUCN.svg
Range of Poecile montanus
  Resident
Synonyms

Parus montanus

In the UK Poecile montanus kleinschmidti 2.jpg
In the UK

The willow tit (Poecile montanus) is a passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and across the Palearctic. The plumage is grey-brown and off-white with a black cap and bib. It is more of a conifer specialist than the closely related marsh tit, which explains it breeding much further north. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate.

Contents

Taxonomy

The willow tit was described in 1827 by the Swiss naturalist Thomas Conrad von Baldenstein under the trinomial name Parus cinereus montanus. [2] The type locality is the mountain forests in the Canton of Grisons, Switzerland. [3] The willow tit is now placed in the genus Poecile that was erected by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829. [4] The genus name, Poecile, is the Ancient Greek name for a now unidentifiable small bird, and the specific montanus is Latin for "of the mountains". [5]

Poecile was at one time treated as a subgenus within the genus Parus but molecular taxonomic analysis, using both nuclear and mitochondrial genes, supports Poecile as a distinct clade. Within Poecile, most of the Old World species (including the willow tit) form a separate clade from the New World chickadees. [6] The taxonomic analysis has shown that the willow tit is sister to the Caspian tit (Poecile hyrcanus). [6] [7]

There are 14 recognised subspecies: [8]

The Sichuan tit (Poecile weigoldicus) was formerly treated as a subspecies of the willow tit. It was promoted to species status based on a 2002 phylogenetic analysis that compared DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. [9] [10] The single locus results were later confirmed by a larger multi-locus analysis published in 2017. [7]

Description

Subspecies Poecile montanus restrictus in Japan kogara Poecile montanus restrictus.JPG
Subspecies Poecile montanus restrictus in Japan

The willow tit is 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length, has a wingspan of 17–20.5 cm (6.7–8.1 in) and weighs around 11 g (0.39 oz). [11] It has a large head, a thin bill, a long dull black cap that descends to the mantle and a black bib. The sides of the face are white, the back is grey-brown and the underparts are buff. The sexes are similar in appearance. [12]

In the east of its range it is much paler than marsh tit, but as one goes west the various races become increasingly similar, so much so that it was not recognised as a breeding bird in Great Britain until the end of the 19th century, despite being widespread.

The willow tit is distinguished from the marsh tit by a sooty brown instead of a glossy blue black cap; the general colour is otherwise similar, though the under parts are more buff and the flanks distinctly more rufous; the pale buff edgings to the secondaries form a light patch on the closed wing. The feathers of the crown and the black bib under the bill are longer, but this is not an easily noticed character. [12]

The commonest call is a nasal zee, zee, zee, but the notes of the bird evidently vary considerably. Occasionally a double note, ipsee, ipsee, is repeated four or five times. [13]

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

Eggs, collection Museum Wiesbaden, Germany Poecile montanus MWNH 2284.jpg
Eggs, collection Museum Wiesbaden, Germany

The willow tit excavates its own nesting hole, even piercing hard bark; this is usually in a rotten stump or in a tree, more or less decayed. Most nests are cups of felted material, such as fur, hair and wood chips, but feathers are sometimes used. The eggs are laid daily. The clutch is typically between six and nine eggs. The eggs have a white background and are marked with red-brown speckles and spots which are often concentrated at the broader end. They measure around 15.8 mm × 12.3 mm (0.62 in × 0.48 in) and weigh 1.2 g (0.042 oz). The eggs are incubated by the female alone and hatch after 13–15 days. The chicks are then cared for and fed by both parents but only the female broods the young. The nestlings fledge after 17–20 days. Only a single brood is raised each season. [14]

In a study using ring-recovery data carried out in northern Finland, the survival rate for juveniles for their first year was 0.58, and the subsequent adult annual survival rate was 0.64. [15] For birds that survive the first year the typical lifespan is thus only three years. [16] The maximum recorded age is 11 years; this has been recorded for a bird in Finland and for another near Nottingham in England. [17] [18]

Food and feeding

Birds feed on insects, caterpillars, and seeds, much like other tits. This species is parasitised by the moorhen flea, Dasypsyllus gallinulae. [19]

Status

The willow tit has an extremely large range with an estimated population of between 175 and 253 million mature individuals. This large population appears to be slowly decreasing but the decline is not sufficiently rapid to approach the threshold of vulnerability. The species is therefore classed as of least-concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [1] In contrast, the number in the United Kingdom declined by 83% between 1995 and 2017. There was also a contraction in the range. [20] The rapid decline is believed be due to three factors: habitat loss, competition for nest holes by other tits particularly blue tits, and nest predation by the great spotted woodpecker. [21] [22] [23] Over the same period, the number of great spotted woodpeckers increased fourfold. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tit (bird)</span> Family of small passerine birds

The tits, chickadees, and titmice constitute the Paridae, a large family of small passerine birds which occur mainly in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. Most were formerly classified in the genus Parus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground tit</span> Species of bird

The ground tit, Tibetan ground-tit or Hume's ground-tit is a bird of the Tibetan plateau north of the Himalayas. The peculiar appearance confused ornithologists in the past who called it as Hume's groundpecker and still later as Hume's ground jay or Tibetan ground jay assuming that it belonged to the family Corvidae that includes the crows and jays. Although morphologically confusing, the species has since been identified using molecular sequence comparisons as being a member of the tit family (Paridae) and is the only species in the genus Pseudopodoces. It is found in the Tibetan Plateau of China, India, Nepal & Bhutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh tit</span> Species of bird

The marsh tit is a Eurasian passerine bird in the tit family Paridae and genus Poecile, closely related to the willow tit, Père David's and Songar tits. It is a small bird, around 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighing 12 g (0.42 oz), with a black crown and nape, pale cheeks, brown back and greyish-brown wings and tail. Between 8 and 11 subspecies are recognised. Its close resemblance to the willow tit can cause identification problems, especially in the United Kingdom where the local subspecies of the two are very similar: they were not recognised as separate species until 1897.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian blue tit</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian blue tit is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage and small size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great tit</span> Passerine bird in the tit family Paridae

The great tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of North Africa where it is generally resident in any sort of woodland; most great tits do not migrate except in extremely harsh winters. Until 2005 this species was lumped with numerous other subspecies. DNA studies have shown these other subspecies to be distinct from the great tit and these have now been separated as two distinct species, the cinereous tit of southern Asia, and the Japanese tit of East Asia. The great tit remains the most widespread species in the genus Parus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tailed tit</span> Species of bird in Europe and Asia

The long-tailed tit, also named long-tailed bushtit, is a common bird found throughout Europe and the Palearctic. The genus name Aegithalos was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tailed tit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-capped chickadee</span> Species of small, non-migratory, North American passerine

The black-capped chickadee is a small, nonmigratory, North American passerine bird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. It is a member of the Paridae family, also known as tits. It has a distinct black cap on its head, a black bib underneath, and white cheeks. It has a white belly, buff sides, and grey wings, back, and tail. The bird is well known for its vocalizations, including its fee-bee call and its chick-a-dee-dee-dee call, from which it derives its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina chickadee</span> Species of bird

The Carolina chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boreal chickadee</span> Species of bird

The boreal chickadee is a small passerine songbird in the tit family Paridae. It is found in the boreal forests of Alaska, Canada and the northern United States and remains within this range all year. This bird is known for its high pitched trill patterns used in communication with other birds and food storage habits in preparation for winter months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-headed chickadee</span> Species of bird

The grey-headed chickadee or Siberian tit, formerly Parus cinctus, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread resident breeder throughout subarctic Scandinavia and the northern Palearctic, and also into North America in Alaska and the far northwest of Canada. It is a conifer specialist. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate. Curiously, the bird has no grey on its head, which is black, white, and brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain chickadee</span> Species of bird

The mountain chickadee is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican chickadee</span> Species of bird

The Mexican chickadee is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is still often placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships. The American Ornithologists' Union had been treating Poecile as distinct genus for some time already.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sombre tit</span> Species of bird

The sombre tit is a member of the tit family found in southeast Europe and southwest Asia. Sombre tits occur in low density in thin woodlands at the elevation range between 1000 and 1600 metres above sea level. Similar to the other tit species, the sombre tit is a cavity-nesting species, which makes the nests in the holes in juniper, willow, poplar, and other relevant tree species. In some cases they nest in iron pipes, and in artificial nest-boxes. The clutch usually consists on 4 to 9 eggs, having two clutches per year. The species appear to be resident in the country with slight local movements. They breed on mountain slopes and in open deciduous forest; lower down on in trees and bushes in rocky terrain, as well as in fruit orchards. The breeding season lasts from early April till end of July - beginning of August. The food mainly consists on insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-backed chickadee</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-backed chickadee, is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae native to western North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varied tit</span> Species of bird

The varied tit is a perching bird from the tit family, Paridae. It occurs in the eastern Palearctic in Japan, Korea, and locally in northeastern China and extreme southeastern Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed tit</span> Species of bird

The white-browed tit is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae. It is endemic to the mountain forests of central China and Tibet.

<i>Poecile</i> Genus of birds in the tit family Paridae

Poecile is a genus of birds in the tit family Paridae. It contains 15 species, which are scattered across North America, Europe and Asia; the North American species are the chickadees. In the past, most authorities retained Poecile as a subgenus within the genus Parus, but treatment as a distinct genus, initiated by the American Ornithologists Union, is now widely accepted. This is supported by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caspian tit</span> Species of bird

The Caspian tit is a passerine bird in the tit family. It breeds in the deciduous mountain forests of northern Iran, just extending into Azerbaijan.

The Songar tit is a passerine bird in the tit family. It is the southern counterpart of the willow tit P. montanus, and is usually included in it as a subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sichuan tit</span> Species of bird

The Sichuan tit is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae. It is found in central China.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2019). "Poecile montanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T155139697A155139155. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T155139697A155139155.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ von Baldenstein, Thomas Conrad (1827). "Nachrichten über die Sumpf-Meise (Mönchs-Meise) (Parus palustris Linn.)". In Steinmüller, Johann Rudolf (ed.). Neue Alpina : eine Schrift der Schweizerischen Naturgeschichte Alpen- und Landwirthschaft gewiedmet (in German). Vol. 2. Winterthur: Steiner. pp. 30–36 [31].
  3. ↑ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 77.
  4. ↑ Kaup, Johann Jakob (1829). Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte und natürliches System der europäischen Thierwelt (in German). Darmstadt: Carl Wilhelm Leske. p. 114.
  5. ↑ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  259, 311. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  6. 1 2 Johansson, Ulf S.; Ekman, Jan; Bowie, Rauri C. K.; Halvarsson, Peter; Ohlson, Jan I.; Price, Trevor D.; Ericson, Per G. P. (2013). "A complete multilocus species phylogeny of the tits and chickadees (Aves: Paridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 69 (3): 852–860. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.019. PMID   23831453.
  7. 1 2 Tritsch, Christian; Martens, Jochen; Sun, Yue-Hua; Heim, Wieland; Strutzenberger, Patrick; Päckert, Martin (2017). "Improved sampling at the subspecies level solves a taxonomic dilemma – A case study of two enigmatic Chinese tit species (Aves, Passeriformes, Paridae, Poecile)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 107: 538–550. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.014. PMID   27965081.
  8. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Waxwings and their allies, tits & penduline tits". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Salzburger, Walter; Martens, Jochen; Nazarenko, Alexander A.; Sun, Yua-Hue; Dallinger, Reinhard; Sturmbauer, Christian (2002). "Phylogeography of the Eurasian Willow Tit (Parus montanus) based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 24 (1): 26–34. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00266-X. PMID   12128026.
  10. ↑ Eck, S.; Martens, J. (2006). "Systematic notes on Asian birds. 49. A preliminary review of the Aegithalidae, Remizidae and Paridae". Zoologische Mededelingen. 80–5: 1–63 [18–19].
  11. ↑ Cramp & Perrins 1993, pp. 169, 184.
  12. 1 2 Cramp & Perrins 1993, p. 161.
  13. ↑ Gosler, A.G.; Clement, P. (2007). "Family Paridae (Tits and Chickadees)" . In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 662–750 [712–713]. ISBN   978-84-96553-42-2.
  14. ↑ Cramp & Perrins 1993, pp. 181–182.
  15. ↑ Orell, Markku; Belda, Eduardo J. (2002). "Delayed cost of reproduction and senescence in the willow tit Parus montanus". Journal of Animal Ecology. 71 (1): 55–64. doi: 10.1046/j.0021-8790.2001.00575.x .
  16. ↑ "Willow Tit Poecile montanus". Bird Facts. British Trust for Ornithology. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "European Longevity Records: Willow Tit". Euring: European Union for Bird Ringing. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Ringing and Nest Recording Report: Longevity records for Britain & Ireland in 2018". Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  19. ↑ Rothschild, Miriam; Clay, Theresa (1953). Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos: A Study of Bird Parasites. London: Collins. p. 113.
  20. 1 2 Harris; S.J.; Massimino; D.; Eaton; M.A; Gillings; S.; Noble; D.G; Balmer; D.E; Pearce-Higgins, J.W.; Woodcock, P. (2019). The Breeding Bird Survey 2018 (PDF). BTO Research Report 717. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology. ISBN   978-1-912642-05-2.
  21. ↑ Siriwardena, Gavin M. (2004). "Possible roles of habitat, competition and avian nest predation in the decline of the Willow Tit Parus montanus in Britain". Bird Study. 51 (3): 193–202. doi: 10.1080/00063650409461354 .
  22. ↑ Lewis, Alex J.G.; Amar, Arjun; Chormonond, Elisabeth C.; Stewort, Finn R.P. (2009). "The decline of the Willow Tit in Britain" (PDF). British Birds. 102: 386–393.
  23. ↑ Parry, Wayne; Broughton, Richard K. (2018). "Nesting behaviour and breeding success of Willow Tits Poecile montanus in north-west England" (PDF). Ringing & Migration. 33 (2): 75–85. doi:10.1080/03078698.2018.1631610. S2CID   199097252.

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