Long-tailed tits · Perching birds
Long-tailed Tit
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Aegithalos caudatus
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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About 15 cm overall; rounded body, very long narrow tail
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White head in northern populations; dark eyebrow stripes possible farther south; black-and-white plumage with pink sides
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Outside the breeding season, found in compact flocks of 6–17
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High contact calls: "pit", "eez-eez-eez", and rattling "schnuur"
About the species
The plumage is mostly black and white, with gray and pink along the sides. Its white face and belly contrast with a very long, narrow dark tail, edged by white outer feathers. In northern populations the head is completely white; farther south, dark eyebrow stripes may cross the crown.
Outside the breeding season, family groups gather into flocks of six to seventeen, keeping up contact calls: a high "pit," a quick "eez-eez-eez" trill, and a rattling "schnuur." As they search for insects, they pick along fine branches and sometimes hang beneath them to inspect the tips. Their calls grow faster and louder when the flock crosses open ground.
They move through leafy and mixed woods, scrub, hedges, parks, and gardens, especially where shrubs are thick. They search fine branches for insects and spiders throughout the year, sometimes taking seeds in autumn and winter. In much of their range they stay year-round, though some make irregular movements.
Where to find
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In city parks and gardens, listen for the constant contact calls of a flock of Long-tailed Tits — often heard before the flock comes into view.
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In deciduous or mixed woodland with dense undergrowth, watch a flock search the fine outer twigs for insects.
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During the breeding season, look in dense thorny scrub for adults carrying food to a low nest in a bush.
