# Long-tailed Tit (*Aegithalos caudatus*)

The long-tailed tit (*Aegithalos caudatus*) is a bird of the family Aegithalidae, in the order Passeriformes.

> The long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) is a tiny, round songbird weighing only 7–9 g, with a tail longer than its body. It lives in woodland and hedgerows across Europe and Asia, travelling in chattering family flocks. Pairs build an elastic, domed nest of moss, lichen, spider silk and feathers. It typically lives 2–3 years and is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Woodland and scrub across Europe and temperate Asia to Japan.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/long-tailed-tit/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Passeriformes
- **Family:** Aegithalidae
- **Genus:** Aegithalos

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Aegithalos caudatus |
| Diet | Small insects, spiders and their eggs; some seeds |
| Habitat | Woodland edges, hedgerows, scrub, parks and gardens |
| Size | About 14 cm long, most of it tail; wingspan 16–19 cm |
| Weight | 7–9 g |
| Lifespan | Typically 2–3 years; oldest ringed bird nearly 9 |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024) |

## Identification

Long-tailed tits are tiny, with a round body, a stubby bill and a black-and-white tail about as long as the rest of the bird. British and western European birds have a broad black stripe over the eye and pinkish tones; northern and eastern birds have pure white heads.

## An elastic nest

Pairs spend weeks building an oval, domed nest of moss bound with spider silk, camouflaged with lichen and lined with hundreds of feathers. The silk lets the nest stretch as the chicks grow.

## Family helpers

Pairs whose own nest fails often help raise the chicks of a relative, bringing food to their nephews and nieces. In winter, family flocks huddle together in a line on a branch to keep warm at night.

## Status

BirdLife International lists the long-tailed tit as Least Concern (2024), estimating 36 to 65 million mature birds and a stable trend. Hard winters can cause large losses, which numbers then recover from.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a long-tailed tit a true tit?

No. Despite the name it belongs to a separate family, the bushtits (Aegithalidae), not the true tits (Paridae).

### How small is a long-tailed tit?

It weighs only 7–9 g, less than a pound coin, and much of its 14 cm length is tail.

### Why do long-tailed tits travel in flocks?

Family groups stay together outside the breeding season, which helps them find food and keep warm by roosting together.

### How long do long-tailed tits live?

Typically 2–3 years; the oldest ringed bird in Britain lived almost 9 years.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/long-tailed-tit-aegithalos-caudatus)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Aegithalos caudatus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aegithalos_caudatus/)
- [BTO BirdFacts: Long-tailed Tit. British Trust for Ornithology.](https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/long-tailed-tit)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Long-tailed Tit

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/long-tailed-tit/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.