Bearded Tit Bird Facts (Panurus biarmicus)

The Bearded Tit is a small, elegant bird with a long tail and distinctive facial markings. Males have a blue-grey head with a striking black 'moustache' or 'beard', contrasting with their warm cinnamon-brown body and bright orange bill.

Females lack the moustache and have a more uniform brown plumage. Both sexes have long tails and short, rounded wings. Juveniles look similar to females but with darker bills and less defined markings.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Garden habitats.

The Bearded Tit can be found in Wetland habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Urban habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Desert habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

The Bearded Tit is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Bearded Tits are primarily found in extensive reedbeds and wetlands across Europe and Asia. Their range extends from the UK and Spain in the west to China in the east, with populations varying in density across this broad area.

In the UK, they are resident in suitable habitats year-round, with some local movements in winter. Key areas include the Norfolk Broads, Somerset Levels, and various coastal wetlands around England and Wales.

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Bearded Tit. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Species that are present in the area during their breeding season

Albania Armenia China Georgia Kazakhstan Mongolia Montenegro Norway Poland Russia Serbia Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

Species that are present in the area outside their breeding season

Cyprus Iran Slovenia

Species that appear infrequently (rare) and unpredictably outside their normal range

Algeria Egypt Israel Japan Lebanon Luxembourg Morocco Portugal

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

The Bearded Tit displays remarkable agility, particularly in its acrobatic reed-climbing skills. Its ability to cling to and navigate through dense reedbeds with ease demonstrates exceptional manoeuvrability and balance.

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

As a small passerine, the Bearded Tit's strength is relatively low compared to larger birds. However, its ability to cling to reeds and withstand windy conditions in its wetland habitat suggests a moderate level of strength for its size.

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

The Bearded Tit shows impressive adaptability, particularly in its unique ability to switch diets seasonally. Its capacity to develop specialised gizzards for grinding reed seeds in winter demonstrates remarkable physiological adaptation.

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

Bearded Tits are generally non-aggressive birds, often seen in social flocks outside the breeding season. While males may display territorial behaviour during breeding, they are not known for significant aggressive tendencies.

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

The Bearded Tit's endurance is noteworthy, particularly considering its ability to survive harsh winter conditions in wetlands and its capacity to consume up to 2,000 seeds per day. Its partial migratory behaviour also suggests a good level of stamina.

Bearded Tits have a varied diet that changes seasonally. In summer, they primarily feed on insects and spiders found in reedbeds. Their main prey consists of mayflies, moths, beetles, mosquitoes, dragonflies, and their larvae.

During winter, they switch to reed seeds, developing specialised gizzards to grind these tough seeds—a unique adaptation among small songbirds. Seeds from grasses, nettles, willowherb, sedges, and rushes, are among the most popular.

Bearded Tits are highly social, often seen in small flocks outside the breeding season. They exhibit remarkable agility, clinging acrobatically to reed stems while foraging.

During cold weather, they adapt their diet from insects to reed seeds, a unique behaviour among small passerines.

The Bearded Tit's most distinctive call is a clear, ringing 'ping' or 'ting', reminiscent of a bicycle bell. They also produce soft, nasal 'zree' contact calls when in flocks.

During the breeding season, males sing a quiet, warbling song that includes mimicry of other wetland birds.

Bearded Tits form monogamous pairs during the breeding season, which typically runs from April to August. Males perform elaborate courtship displays, including vertical flights above the reeds.

Nests are built low in the reeds, often just above water level. They are cup-shaped structures made from reed leaves and lined with reed flowers. Females lay 5-7 cream-coloured eggs with dark speckles.

Incubation lasts about 12-13 days, shared by both parents. Chicks fledge after 12-15 days but remain dependent on parents for another 1-2 weeks. Pairs often raise 2-3 broods per season.

The Bearded Tit typically lives for 2 to 3 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 7.1 years.

Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.

While listed as Least Concern globally, Bearded Tits face localised threats due to habitat loss and degradation of wetlands.

Conservation efforts focus on preserving and managing reedbed habitats, particularly in countries like the UK, where they are a species of conservation concern.

Listen for their distinctive 'ping' calls in reedbeds
Look for small groups moving through reeds, especially at dawn and dusk
Watch for their acrobatic movements as they cling to reed stems
In the UK, visit coastal wetlands and inland marshes for the best chances of spotting them

Main predators include birds of prey such as Marsh Harriers and Sparrowhawks, as well as mammals like stoats and weasels that can access their low nests.

Bearded Tits can eat up to 2,000 seeds per day in winter.
They have special throat pouches to store seeds for later grinding in their gizzards.
Despite their name, they are not related to the tit family and are the only species in their family, Panuridae.

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