Photographer and bird lover AnnMackieMiller presents views of British birds in their natural habitats. Photographic series and information on the behaviour of common garden birds and rarer species.
Long-tailed tits are common garden visitors and since they tend to stick to their own families it is not uncommon to see 12 or more together. If you do, you will know they are all from one family. I hope you enjoy my photo gallery taken at Upton Cottage.
I think long-tailed tits are among my favourite garden birds. They are so pretty with tiny beaks and long thin tails that are longer than their body. They have ditinctive colouring with black, pink, tan and white being the predominant colours and a cute peachy blush.
Facts about Long-Tailed Tits
In size they measure about 5.5 inches in length with a wing span of around 7 inches on average. They weigh around the 0.25 ounce mark.
They feed mainly on tiny insects, spiders and spider eggs and love seeds and berries.
Their nests are intricate constructions built in a low thorny bush or the fork of a tree. They use spiders silk to make the nest elastic so it can expand to fit the growing brood. They usually lay 12 eggs, chicks hatching in 15 days or so and they will fledge (fly) when they are about 18 days old.
'fluffball' long-tailed tit
feathers puffed up to keep the heat in on a cold winter day
Although they tend to keep in families, the families break up in Spring for the breeding season so they avoid inter-breeding. They are one of the few breeds that huddle together for warmth. As they become more frequent garden visitors they may roost in nestboxes in winter so leave yours up.
Long-tailed tits on feeder
They are common visitors to garden feeders - arrive in bunches as if blown in by the wind then blow out again. They are very noisy critters.
distinctive tail of the long-tailed tit - it is longer than his body
long-tailed tits on suet feeder
long-tailed tit on suet feeder
Suet logs are great for winter feeding long-tailed tits
long-tailed tit on branch
long-tailed tit on branch
'here's looking at you kid' Long-Tailed Tit on Garden Feeder
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