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Bearded tit

 

 

Very pretty sedentary birds whom few have met, and that with good reason. The ideal landscape of bearded tits is reed banks in sea bays and freshwater bodies. Visibility in reed banks is limited, and human movement rather complicated but at the boardwalks of hiking trails they can be seen. When bearded tits move it is always in groups; sometimes the birds are revealed by the clicking-ticking calls.

 

Bearded tits were first seen in Estonia in 1978. After some time they were already nesting in the Matsalu reed areas, and today in suitable habitats all over Estonia. A part of the birds migrate southwards but around a thousand may stay for winter.

 

The somewhat exotic exterior must be described. Females and males are easily distinguished. Plumage colour of both sexes is beautifully rust-coloured yellowish. The long tail with white outer feathers lengthens gradually and has a rounded tip.

 

Head plumage of the male is bluish grey, from between the beak and eye a splendid black beard streak begins, chest is white and the undertail feathers black. The beak is straw yellow, legs black.

 

The head and back plumage of the female is similar, the beak greenish yellow, but examine differences in Arne’s photos. The length of the legs and the strong claws are noteworthy, the best means to cling on reed straws with.

 

Wings are short with rounded tips, maybe due to this the flight view leaves a slightly awkward impression.

 

A great number of insects that bearded tits use for food live in the reeds. How do the insectivores manage in winter?

 

According to investigators’ data the stomach lining of bearded tits becomes reinforced in the course of autumn by an estimated 500 swallowed little gravel grains, and thus they can change over to seed food. Winter food is mainly seeds of common reed (Phragmites australis); the hard seeds of clubrushes (Schoenoplectus lacustre and S. tabermontana) begin to be utilised only in January.

 

In spring the ”millstones” are excreted, stomach walls again return to their ordinary state and at first opportunity the bearded tits return to insect food.

 

The birds with the interesting looks have a length of 15 centimetres, and weigh 10 to some 20 grams.

 

Bearded tit observations: LINK

Bearded tit female

 

Male, young bird and female