Wednesday 21 October 2009

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

OTHER NAMES: Long-tailed Titmouse, Mum Ruffin, Mufflin, Huck-Muck
Latin Etymology: Aegithalos ("tit") caudatus ("tailed")
Adult Long-tailed Tit (subspecies A. c. rosaceus) at Geddington, Northants - March 2010

Featured Subspecies: Aegithalos caudatus rosaceus
Weight: 7-9g  /  Length: 15cm  /  Wingspan: 17-19cm
UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

After the blue tit and great tit, the long tailed tit holds the distinction of being probably the UK's third most visible of the tits. It is however, not strictly speaking, particularly related to the others and is in a separate genus. It is also unlike the "standard" tits in other ways - it is inherently communal and is almost always seem in flocks, ranging from only a few to several dozen, or even potentially more. It also very rarely comes to bird tables, instead to prefer to feed while moving through trees and hedges. It can prove very frustrating to photograph, as it is a very "flitty" bird, but perseverance can get some great results.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Aegithalidae
Genus: Aegithalos
Subspecies: A. c. caudatus, A. c. rosaceus, A. c. aremoricus, A. c. taiti, A. c. europaeus, A. c. macedonicus, A. c. tauricus, A. c. irbii, A. c. italiae, A. c. siculus, A. c. tephronotus, A. c. major, A. c. alpinus, A. c. passekii, A. c. magnus, A. c. trivirgatus, A. c. kiusiuensis 

- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - Common resident (340,000 territories)
 - Birds seen at many locations including Rutland WaterPitsford Reservoir and Geddington.        

No comments:

Post a Comment