1. Long-tailed tit – Aegithalos caudatus
The long-tailed tit is a small bird with a body length of 14 cm and a weight of 8-12 g. In an adult, the upper body plumage is gray, the bottom of the body is white, there is a characteristic black bang on the head, and the tail is long and thin. The long-tailed tit has a short, straight beak.
The long-tailed tit is common in Europe, Asia and North Africa. In Ukraine, it nests throughout the territory, except for the Crimea.
The long-tailed tit is a sedentary bird. It lives in deciduous and mixed forests, parks and gardens. The long-tailed tit nests in the hollows of trees, sometimes occupying the nests of other birds. The nest is built of soft moss, lichens, feathers and wool. In the clutch of a long-tailed tit, there are 6-12 eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 12-14 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
The long-tailed tit feeds on insects, their larvae, spiders, berries and seeds.
The Eurasian coot is a fairly common species, but in some regions its numbers are declining. The reasons for this are the destruction of forests, poaching and the use of chemical plant protection products.
In Ukraine, the long-tailed tit is not listed in the Red Book.
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko