Long-tailed tit Factfile
Latin name
Distribution
Long-tailed tits occur throughout the UK except on upland moors in the north of Scotland, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland, though population density will always be higher in areas with proportionately more suitable habitat (see notes under ‘Habitat’).
Habitat
Habitat for the Long-tailed tit is fairly mixed and includes open deciduous and mixed woodland, hedgerows, gardens with plenty of trees, shrubs and hedges, plus scrubland and parks. Long-tailed tits can also be seen in coniferous woodland if it is not overly-dense in the way a commercial plantation can be.
UK Population
There are around around 380,000 breeding pairs of Long-tailed tit in the UK, though numbers fluctuate hugely dependent on the severity of winters.
The aptly-named Long-tailed tit is a highly entertaining visitor to gardens, where it will nearly always be in a flock of the same species. Long-tailed tits are very active and continually keep in contact with each other with twittering calls interspersed with higher notes. The Long-tailed tit cannot be mistaken for any other bird, and along with the obvious and disproportionately long tail, the white, pink and black plumage makes them easy to identify. Long-tailed tits are also relatively easy to attract to garden feeding stations, and especially like to cling onto mesh peanut feeders and suet cages – often cramming themselves onto the feeder in what appears to be impossibly large numbers for the available space.
Video footage of Long-tailed tits
Long-tailed tit nesting and breeding habits
The Long-tailed tit’s nest is a true wonder of nature, and is constructed from moss and bound together with hair and spiders’ webs, to form a dome-shaped structure which is entirely enclosed other than for the entrance hole. It is camouflaged with lichen, and the inside lined with often hundreds of feathers. Both male and female Long-tailed tit build the elaborate nest, and because it can take up to three weeks to construct, work often starts as early as late February in the south of England (a little later further north). The location of the Long-tailed tit’s nest is in a dense bush, hedge or even high up in a tree if the foliage is thick enough. The clutch size of Long-tailed tits is around 8-12 eggs (though can be up to 15) which is exceptionally large for any bird, but the high number is required because of the species’ high mortality rate in harsh winters.
Long-tailed tit history and population trends
The Long-tailed tit is doing fairly well in the UK and currently enjoys green status. However, a succession of very harsh winters has a dramatic and negative effect on Long-tailed tit population numbers, though in suburban areas this may be less pronounced because of food provided in gardens – and notably peanuts and suet products.
Behaviour traits of Long-tailed tits
Long-tailed tits are highly gregarious and are typically seen in extended family groups of up to 20 birds, though will often flock with other species of tit to form larger feeding groups in the winter months. Long-tailed tits are highly dexterous and agile, and this, combined with their very sociable nature, means that multiple birds will happily cram onto feeders at all sorts of angles and positions, with their bodies and tails in contact with one another. An especially interesting behaviour of Long tailed tits in the breeding season, is that additional birds will sometimes join the two parents in feeding their large number of young, with these extra helpers perhaps being failed breeders that are related to the parents.
Long-tailed tit diet and food
The Long-tailed tit’s natural food is mainly small insects, their larvae and small spiders, plus some seeds in the winter. In gardens where food is provided, Long-tailed tits readily feed on peanuts and suet pellets in mesh feeders, and also love suet blocks and suet balls.
What should I feed Long-tailed tits?
We recommend the following products to help attract Long-tailed tits to your garden.
Bird Food
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do Long-tailed tit nest?
Long-tailed tits build their nest in hedges, shrubs or trees with dense foliage and branches.
What is the best type of bird feeder for a Long-tailed tit?
For peanuts and suet pellets use a steel mesh feeder, and for fat balls and suet blocks use a metal cage feeder which holds the suet in place - in both cases the Long-tailed tit will cling to the feeder as it pecks at the food inside. . Note that Long-tailed tits will not take seed from a tube feeder or similar type of feeder.
What can be fed to a Long-tailed tit?
The two main foods for Long-tailed tits are peanuts, which must be fed in mesh feeder, and any type of suet product fed from a suitable metal feeder.
Where did Long-tailed tits originate from?
Long-tailed tits are a native species to the UK and across much of Europe, and like all birds have evolved from a common ancestor.
How can you identify a Long-tailed tit?
The long tail is the instant giveaway! The black, cream, white, pink and purple plumage of the Long-tailed tit also helps makes the species unmistakable.
Do Long-tailed tits migrate?
No, Long-tailed its do not migrate. Indeed, most Long-tailed tits never venture that far from the area they were born and raised in, though they will move slightly further in small flocks during the winter months in search of food.