Birds to look for in September — Long Tailed Tit

Long tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) despite their name, are not in fact members of the tit family! They belong to a separate family and are the only member found in the UK and Europe. Although they may not be tits, they most definitely have long-tails, which is a good way of identifying them, as is their pink colouring. Some people have described them as looking like a fluffy flying lollipop! There is very little difference between males and females in appearance. They are very sociable and are almost always seen in small groups, often moving between trees. They behave like tits (probably why they were named after them).  They mainly feed on insects and occasionally seeds in autumn and winter.

Tweet of the Day

To hear the long tailed tit’s song follow the link to the BBC’s Tweet of the Day
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0378tmb

For more info see https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/long-tailed-tit/