Long-tailed Tit Identification Guide
What I look like
The Long-tailed Tit is easily recognizable by its silhouette: a small round body and a very long tail.
Its tail is black and white.
Its back and small round wings are black, with some white and pink.
The belly plumage is predominantly pinkish beige.
Its beak is tiny.
Its white head is marked by a black band above the eye (for the subspecies in the west and south of Europe).
The Nordic subspecies has an entirely white head (in the north and east of Europe).
My songs, my calls
The group communicates with sharp, high-pitched calls to signal their location as they move from tree to tree.
It is recognized by its rolled calls (called trills) short and abrupt, "tsirrrup".
How I behave
They are often observed in groups (a family group or multiple families).
They often hop from tree to tree.
They are very acrobatic in trees and shrubs.
Thanks to its light weight, long legs, and long tail which acts as a counterbalance, it goes to the ends of the thinnest branches.
On these thin branches, it easily finds food since there are few competitors.
How I reproduce
It breeds from March to June.
It produces one brood per year.
8 to 12 eggs white speckled with reddish.
The construction of the nest is very elaborate and lasts about 3 weeks.
It’s a ball-shaped nest with a side entrance hole.
It is built from moss, lichens, and spider silk.
The interior is lined with many small feathers that serve as insulation.
What I eat
Its short and weak beak enables it to feed on insects, larvae, eggs, and a few soft seeds.
It's rare, but it sometimes comes to feeders or hangs on fat balls.
Where to find me
It is found in deciduous or coniferous forests, rich in undergrowth.
As well as in parks, bushes, hedges, and gardens.
It is sedentary or a short-distance migrant.