tail first, bird second. the nest took me ages, so be nice.
Long-tailed tit says
Bird 18 of 30 · video, 30:17
Long-tailed tit
Aegithalos caudatus
A tiny, fragile pink, black and white bird that is mostly tail, and builds an engineering masterpiece of a nest.
- Tiny, 7.8 g
- Stays all year
- On a feeder or bird table
- In a tree
About the long-tailed tit
Marks and dots
Tap a numbered dot, or a name in the list.
Without that long tail it would be Britain's second smallest bird.
Pink, black and white plumage, unmistakable.
Pink on the wing and body.
From egg to adult
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Egg
Eggs6–8 eggs BTO
Hatch after15–18 days BTO
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Chick in the nest
In the nest for15.5–16.5 days BTO
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Young bird
The video says the birds come back to gardens in late June or early July, often with their young.
Adult
Tiny; pink, black and white; very long tail
Broods a year1 brood BTO
BTO averages: 16 days incubating the eggs, then 16 days in the nest. Averages across nest records, so the figures above can differ a little.
At the table
- tiny insects and larvae
- peanuts
Feeds almost entirely on tiny insects and larvae, which is why freezing weather is such a problem. It has developed a taste for peanuts, and a steady supply of garden food always helps.
This page mentions bird tables. Since April 2026 the RSPB and the BTO advise against them, and say to feed seeds and peanuts only from November to April. What changed, and why.
Through the year
Long-tailed tit: around Jan to Dec; regular winter garden visitor, Dec to Feb; back in gardens with their young, Jun to Jul; first eggs laid 24 Mar to 29 Apr, average 8 Apr (BTO); first chicks leave the nest 24 Apr to 3 Jun (worked out from BTO).
What to know about the long-tailed tit
Eight short notes in our own words. Each chip says what the note stands on, and links to its row in the table below.
What to look for
A tiny, fragile bird which, without its very long tail, would be Britain's second smallest. The pink, black and white plumage is unmistakable, and in flight it looks like a pipe cleaner with a fat head and wings.
Male and female
The video does not compare the sexes. BTO says males and females look alike.
The young
The video says the birds come back to gardens in late June or early July, often with their young. BTO says a pair's older offspring help rear the chicks.
Song and call
The video does not describe the long-tailed tit's song or call.
not in the video
Nest
Of all nests, the long-tailed tit's is an engineering masterpiece: domed, and lined with a great many tiny feathers. It can even stretch as the nestlings grow, up to a dozen of them, before they fledge. The video says thousands of feathers; BTO says up to 1,500.
Feeding
Feeds almost entirely on tiny insects and larvae, which is why freezing weather is such a problem. It has developed a taste for peanuts, and a steady supply of garden food always helps.
Staying or leaving
A regular winter visitor to gardens, though it heads out to the countryside before breeding. It returns in late June or early July, often with its young. Severe winters have had catastrophic effects, but numbers recover remarkably fast in milder weather. In winter, small mixed flocks form with blue, coal, marsh and willow tits, and often treecreepers. BTO says long-tailed tits are here all year.
Sources and checks
Where every fact about the long-tailed tit came from
21 claims about the long-tailed tit: 3 checked, 8 from the video only,1 differ, 9 from a source only. How the grades work
| Claim, in our words | Video time | Grade | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tiny, fragile bird which, without its very long tail, would be Britain's second smallest. | 30:17 | video only | BTO gives the long-tailed tit's adult weight as 7.8 g, and says its tail is noticeably longer than its body. |
| Its pink, black and white plumage is unmistakable. | 30:25 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes pale underparts, black stripes on a white head, and blush pink on the breast, wings and eye-ring. |
| In flight it resembles a bulbous-headed pipe cleaner with wings. | 30:30 | video only | |
| BTO says male and female long-tailed tits look alike. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species. |
| BTO says long-tailed tits breed co-operatively, with younger birds helping breeding pairs to rear chicks. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species. |
| They feed almost exclusively on tiny insects and larvae, which is why freezing conditions cause them such problems. | 31:03 | video only | |
| They have developed a taste for peanuts, and a ready supply of garden food is always helpful. | 31:11 | video only | |
| A regular visitor to gardens in winter, tending to head for the countryside before the breeding season. | 30:37 | video only | |
| They return to gardens in late June or early July, often bringing their offspring. | 30:44 | video only | |
| Severe winters have had catastrophic effects on this vulnerable species, but numbers recover remarkably quickly in milder weather. | 30:53 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says that, being small, long-tailed tits are susceptible to harsh weather. |
| BTO says long-tailed tits can be found year round throughout Britain and Ireland, apart from the highest peaks and the farthest Scottish islands. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species. |
| In winter long-tailed tits join together as small mixed flocks, usually with blue, coal, marsh and willow tits, and often treecreepers. | 31:35 | video only | |
| Of all nests, the long-tailed tit's is an engineering masterpiece: domed, and lined with tiny feathers. | 31:19 | checked | BTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes a beautifully intricate domed nest of lichen and cobwebs, lined with feathers. |
| The nest is lined with thousands of tiny feathers.video: thousands of feathers | 31:25 | ≠differs | BTO, read 2026-10-05: lined with up to 1,500 feathersBTO's introduction to the species. |
| The nest can expand as up to a dozen nestlings grow, before fledging at just two weeks old. | 31:28 | video only | |
| Adult weight, from ringing records: 7.8 g, adult average. | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 7.8 g, adult average |
| Timing of the first clutch: first eggs laid around 8 Apr (24 Mar-29 Apr). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: first eggs laid around 8 Apr (24 Mar-29 Apr) |
| Typical clutch: 6–8 eggs (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 6–8 eggs (BTO typical) |
| Typical broods in a year: 1 brood (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 1 brood (BTO typical) |
| Incubation takes 15–18 days (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 15–18 days (BTO typical) |
| Chicks leave the nest after 15.5–16.5 days (BTO typical). | source only | source only | BTO, read 2026-10-05: 15.5–16.5 days (BTO typical) |
Written in our own words after “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, where the long-tailed tit starts at 30:17.Numbers are checked against the BTO's page for the long-tailed tit, read on 5 October 2026. We are not connected to the channel or to the BTO.
More birbs: 30 so far, and more to come
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