The British Trust for Ornithology
LONG-TAILED TIT
Aegithalos caudatus
Long-tailed Tit © Tommy Holden
Conservation listings

Unlisted/Green
Biodiversity Steering Group: Unlisted
Long-term trend
UK: Fluctuating, long-term overall moderate increase
 
Status summary
Both CBC and CES index trends show increases in Long-tailed Tit abundance since the mid-1980s, but the species tends to undergo large-scale fluctuations in numbers, probably because of the effects of winter weather. Improvements in nesting success at the egg stage, (19 days, comprising 13 days incubation + 6 days laying) from 54% to 87%, have accompanied the recent increase. The trend towards earlier laying maybe explained by recent climatic changes (Crick & Sparks 1999).
 
 
Table of population changes for Long-tailed Tit
Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
CBC all habitats 31 1968-1999 130 65 23 131    
  25 1974-1999 139 3 -18 34    
  10 1989-1999 151 26 15 39    
  5 1994-1999 158 -4 -9 3    
CBC farmland 31 1968-1999 47 114 56 183    
  25 1974-1999 48 21 -9 54    
  10 1989-1999 58 47 27 74    
  5 1994-1999 60 4 -8 15    
CBC woodland 31 1968-1999 61 -9 -38 50    
  25 1974-1999 67 -32 -49 -9 >25  
  10 1989-1999 78 6 -6 21    
  5 1994-1999 81 -10 -17 -2    
CES adults 15 1984-1999 74 31 . .    
  10 1989-1999 90 19 . .    
  5 1994-1999 98 2 . .    
CES juveniles 15 1984-1999 66 31 . .    
  10 1989-1999 82 40 . .    
  5 1994-1999 92 2 . .    
BBS UK 6 1994-2000 625 22 9 35    
BBS England 6 1994-2000 550 6 -5 18    
BBS Wales 6 1994-2000 46 4 -35 68   Small sample
The Breeding Bird Survey is jointly funded by BTO, JNCC and RSPB
 
 
Table of productivity information for Long-tailed Tit
Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Predicted
in first year		 Predicted
in last year		 Change Comment
Clutch size 31 1968-1999 32 Linear decline 7.67 eggs 6.6 eggs -1.07 eggs  
Brood size 31 1968-1999 27 Curvilinear 6.83 chicks 6.3 chicks -0.53 chicks Small sample
Daily failure rate (eggs) 31 1968-1999 51 Curvilinear 0.0314 nests/day 0.0074 nests/day -0.024 nests/day  
Daily failure rate (chicks) 31 1968-1999 36 Linear increase 0.0074 nests/day 0.0164 nests/day 0.009 nests/day  
Laying date 31 1968-1999 43 Curvilinear day 108 day 95 -13 days  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 15 1984-1999 80 Smoothed trend 91 productivity index 100 productivity index 10%  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 10 1989-1999 97 Smoothed trend 86 productivity index 100 productivity index 17%  
Percentage juveniles (CES) 5 1994-1999 105 Smoothed trend 99 productivity index 100 productivity index 1%  
 




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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Leech, D.I., Marchant, J.H.,
Noble, D.G., Raven, M.J., Simpkin, A.P., Thewlis, R.M. and Wernham, C.V. (2002) Breeding Birds in the Wider
Countryside: their conservation status 2001. BTO Research Report No. 278. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

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