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Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) Alternate name(s): "Long-tailed Bushtit", "Silver-throated Tit", "Silver-throated Dasher" German name(s): "Schwanzmeise" Size: 13-15 cm (incl. tail of 7-9 cm); wing span 16-19 cm Body mass: 7-10 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.08-0.15

Europe: Family Group 16 Family Group 16 Table Eurasian Blue Tit Great Tit Coal Tit Marsh Tit Willow Tit Sombre Tit European Crested Tit Eurasian Penduline Tit Long-tailed Tit Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Long-tailed Tits are small tits with long tails. There are significant morphological differences between (groups of) races - for details refer to a field guide. The head colours range from grey to black-and-white. The front is usually grey or white, in some races streaked, while the back is black. The long tail and the wings are black with white edge lining and some races have brown lesser wing coverts. The eyes are surrounded by orange eye-rings; the irises are brown. The tiny, triangular-shaped bill is dark-grey. Legs and feet are dark-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Long-tailed Tit at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Long-tailed Tit is available HERE . There are in total 19 races of Long-tailed Tits that are usually divided into 3 groups, all of which are sedentary throughout their range. The combined total range encompasses most of Europe and large parts of mid-latitude Asia, from Iberia and the British Isles in the West to Korea, far-eastern Siberia and Japan in the East. Long-tailed Tits are found almost throughout Europe, except northern Scandinavia, northern European Russia and the highest mountain ranges in Scandinavia and Scotland. They are also present on some Mediterranean islands. Apart from the Dnjepr River, they are largely absent from the area to the North of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, in Ukraine and southern European Russia. Long-tailed Tits can be found in a variety of habitats, but usually in deciduous forest or woodland with lush undergrowth, in dense shrubs or hedges.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "europaeus" Long-tailed Tits, race "europaeus", were caught, ringed and photographed by S. Cuturilov in Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, in October 2017. In another ringing campaign, Long-tailed Tits, race "europaeus", were caught, ringed and photographed by S. Cuturilov at Vlasina Lake, Serbia, in October 2019. More Long-tailed Tits, race "europaeus", were found by A. Sarok in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. M. Thomas reports spotting a small group of 4-5 Long-tailed Tits, race "europaeus", in a garden in Eltville, Hessen, Germany, in March 2018, and again in February 2019. G. Normand spotted a Long-tailed Tit, race "europaeus", near Nieppe, Hauts-de-France, France, in March 2020. Race "taiti" J. Pires reports finding Long-tailed Tits, race "taiti", occasionally in the area from Montargil to Mora, Evora, Portugal. M. Eaton spotted Long-tailed Tits, race "taiti", in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019. Race "irbii" J. Pires found a Long-tailed Tit, race "irbii", in Pulo do Lobo, Amendoeira da Serra, Mertola, South Alentejo, Portugal, in October 2019. Race "rosaceus" M. Eaton found Long-tailed Tits, race "rosaceus", in Hyde Park, London, England, in September 2019.

Photos

Race "europaeus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Near Nieppe, Hauts-de-France, France, March 2020]

Helper holding two Long-tailed Tits for documentation after ringing (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, October 2017]

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of two Long-tailed Tits (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2019]

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Vlasina Lake, Serbia, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Dorsal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2018]

Race "taiti"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Long-tailed Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Parque Natural de Montesinho, Braganca, Portugal, July 2022]

Near-frontal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit looking at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pavia, Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2025]

Near-lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pavia, Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2025]

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2022]

Dorsal view of a Long-tailed Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2022]

Dorsal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Long-tailed Tit launching itself into the air (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2014]

Juvenile Long-tailed Tit hanging upside down from a twig (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2014]

Race "irbii"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pulo do Lobo, Amendoeira da Serra, Mertola, South Alentejo, Portugal, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pulo do Lobo, Amendoeira da Serra, Mertola, South Alentejo, Portugal, October 2019]

Race "rosaceus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Long-tailed Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Family clan

Food, Diet

Long-tailed Tits are insectivorous, specializing in small anthropods and on the eggs and larvae of butterflies and moths. In autumn they also feed on plant material.

Frontal view of a Long-tailed Tit with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Torme, Salamanca, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2023]

Frontal view of a Long-tailed Tit with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Torme, Salamanca, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2023]

Lateral view of an upside-down Long-tailed Tit that has found something edible in the cupule of an acorn (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil dam, Ponte de Sor, Evora, Portugal, September 2022]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Long-tailed Tit with what looks like an aphid (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Couco, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2022]

Long-tailed Tits taking fat and seeds from a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2019]

Long-tailed Tit and a Eurasian Blue Tit at a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2019]

Clan of Long-tailed Tits at a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

longtit_jp_20251118.m4a	taiti? (Portugal)	Warning calls(?)	© JP
longtit_jp_20240915.m4a	taiti? (Portugal)	Various (family clan)	© JP
longtit_jp_20251102.m4a	taiti? (Portugal)	Various (family clan)	© JP

More Long-tailed Tit sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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