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Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus) Alternate name(s): "Penduline Tit", "European Penduline Tit" German name(s): "Beutelmeise" Size: 10-11.5 cm; wing span 16-17.5 cm Body mass: 8-11 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.18-0.22

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 Eurasian Penduline Tits are small tits with long tails. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. Both sexes have a grey head, neck and light-grey throat. The chest is cinnamon, the belly and vent are grey-brown. The undertail and undertail coverts are grey. The flight feathers are black, with brown edge lining. While male Eurasian Penduline Tits have a broad black facial mask and a deep rufous back and upperwing coverts, females have a narrow black facial mask and a plainer, brown back. Male Eurasian Penduline Tits also have some reddish-brown feathers on their chests which are absent in females. The irises of both sexes are black. The bill is grey; legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles have a similar body plumage as adults, but none of their prominent head markings yet. Instead, the head is dull grey-brown.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Penduline 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 Eurasian Penduline Tit is available HERE . Eurasian Penduline Tits are a migratory species that, at some time of the year, can be found almost anywhere in southern, central and eastern Europe. They are NOT present in the north-western corner of Iberia, the British Isles and Scandinavia beyond the southern Baltic Sea coast. Their overall range extends farther to the East, via the southern parts of European Russia into central Asia. Farther South their range extends throughout Asia Minor, parts of the Middle East, all around the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and into the Euphrates/Tigris river lowlands in Iraq towards Iran. The breeding grounds of Eurasian Penduline Tits in Europe, apart from a few scattered locations, are eastward of the river Rhine. They are permanent residents in parts of northern Spain, (near-)coastal Italy, Greece, and along the river Danube. They are also permanently present in most of Turkey, except for the Black Sea coastline, and towards the Caucasus mountain range. Their winter grounds are along the Gulf of Biscay coastline, the northern Mediterranean coastline, the eastern Adriatic coastline, south-eastern Turkey and the Middle East. Anywhere else within their overall range, but outside either breeding ground or wintering grounds, they can only be found during their annual migration.

Sightings Click here for sighting information A. Sarok reports spotting Eurasian Penduline Tits near the Jegricka river, near Temerin, Vojvodina, Serbia, June 2013, where they were found to be breeding at the time. S. Cuturilov found Eurasian Penduline Tits nesting near Temerin, Vojvodina, Serbia, in July 2017. Others were found by A. Sarok in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Eurasian Penduline Tits nesting near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in April 2016, and along the river Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, in August 2020. A Eurasian Penduline Tit was caught, ringed and photographed by S. Cuturilov in Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, in October 2017. M. Eaton reports finding Eurasian Penduline Tits in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019. In January 2023, J. Pires spotted a Eurasian Penduline Tit in the Tejo estuary, Portugal.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Eurasian Penduline Tits, left, have a broader black face mask than females, and also a more colourful, rufous-infused front that is much paler/duller in females.

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Eurasian Penduline Tit; note the wide black facial mask (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2023]

Near-frontal view of a male Eurasian Penduline Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2023]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2023]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2023]

This view of a male Eurasian Penduline Tit at its nest shows its brown back and upperwing coverts
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Eurasian Penduline Tit; note the narrow black facial mask (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Ovcarsko-Kablarski Canyon, near Cacak, Serbia, October 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Head-on view of a moutling or sub-adult male(?) Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Frontal view of a juvenile Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2022]

Frontal view of a juvenile Eurasian Penduline Tit looking left and right (photos courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2022]

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

Lateral view of a juvenile Eurasian Penduline Tit on wild fennel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

View onto the back of a juvenile Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

View onto the back of a juvenile Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Eurasian Penduline Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Aug

Eggs: 6 - 8

Incubation period: 13 - 14 days

Fledging age: 11 - 12(?) days

The male build the "main frame" of a nest, but the nest will only be finished when/if he can attract a female.

Nest building: Male & female

Incubation: Male

Dependent care: Male & female

Nest

Type: Hanging basket

Material: Grass, reeds, wool

Height above ground: 1 - 3 m(?)

Pair of Eurasian Penduline Tit working on their nest (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Dorsal view of a male Eurasian Penduline Tit at the entrance of its nest (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Jegricka river, near Temerin, Vojvodina, Serbia, June 2013]

Male Eurasian Penduline Tit in its almost complete nest (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Female Eurasian Penduline Tit applying some last improvements to the entrance of its nest (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Female Eurasian Penduline Tit applying some last improvements to the entrance of its nest (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Female Eurasian Penduline Tit checking the view from its nest (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

"How's that for a nest?!" (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Frontal view of a magnificent Penduline Tit nest (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Near Temerin, Vojvodina, Serbia, July 2017]

Lateral view of a magnificent Penduline Tit nest (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Near Temerin, Vojvodina, Serbia, July 2017]

Male Eurasian Penduline Tit carrying wool as nesting material (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Brok, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Eggs

Size: 16 x 11 mm(?)

Colour: White

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

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.

pendtit_dw_20200801.m4a	(Poland)	Alarm calls (male)	© DW
pendtit_jp_20230103.mp3	(Portugal)	?	© JP

More Eurasian Penduline 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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