The long-tailed tit is a tiny bird of hedgerows, woodland, parks and gardens. It builds a domed nest out of moss in a bush or the fork of a tree, and camouflages it with cobwebs and lichen. It lines the nest with as many as 1,500 feathers to make it soft for the eight to twelve eggs it lays. Long-tailed tits are active feeders, hunting out insects and spiders among the smaller branches and leaves of trees in woodlands. But they are also well-adapted to gardens and towns and will visit birdtables and feeders. In winter, they form flocks with other tits, roaming woodlands, parks and gardens, and commons and heaths with suitable bushes.
How to identify
The long-tailed tit does, indeed, have a long black-and-white tail that is bigger than its body. It has a black, white and pink back, a white head with a wide, black eyestripe, and a pale pink belly.
Did you know?
Sociable and noisy, long-tailed tits are usually spotted roaming about in flocks of 20 or more birds during the winter. At night, long-tailed tits cluster together to keep warm.
