Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus
I’ve seen so many memes featuring this bird!
If you put wings, a tail, and a face on a pom-pom, you would get a Long-tailed Tit. These tiny birds are found throughout Europe and the Palearctic, but are also found across social media memes and viral photos because of their adorable features. Just look at that face - you don’t have to be a birder to squeal at how cute it is!
The Long -tailed Tit in this meme looks different from the one I painted this week. This is because there are three different groups, each residing in a different geographic region and displaying different color patterns. The little puffball in the meme with the pure white head, Aegithalos caudatus caudatus, is found in northern Europe and Asia. In Hokkaido- Japan’s second largest island - these white-headed birds are called “Shima enaga.” They are such popular little birds that you can find little Long-tailed Tits as keychains, little stuffed animals, and even cable keepers!
When I was in Asia, I wanted to see a Long-tailed Tit so badly! Fortunately, they can be found year-round, and are fairly common birds. Although I spent most of my time in Japan in Tokyo, Erin and I spent a day exploring the forest around Mount Takao-san. We were delighted when an entire flock of these little pompoms flew into the trees above our heads!
I was at first confused when the Long-tailed Tits above us had charcoal strips above their eyes. What happened to the cottonballs? But we soon figured out the situation - we were looking at Aegithalos caudatus europaeus subspecies- and thoroughly enjoyed watching the cute little birds.
Long-tailed Tits are very social birds. Outside of the breeding system, they form flocks of up to seventeen birds that help keep each other warm while roosting during the cold winters. During the breeding season, if a pair of birds loses their eggs, they will help other birds to raise their chicks successfully instead of starting a new nest. These helper birds can make all of the difference in another nest’s survival, as they help bring food to the young chicks and protect them from predation.
In other parts of the world, Long-tailed Tits have some fantastic nicknames. In particular, the English have dozens of endearing nicknames. So let’s end this blog post by enjoying some of the best of these Long-tailed Tit nicknames: Raggamuffin, Mumruffin, and Bumbarrel!