Crested Tit of Britain

Crested Tits ( Lophophanes cristatus) are notoriously elusive birds who can only be found in the Highlands of Scotland. They are some of Scotland's most endearing and hyperactive birds who have happily increased in numbers in recent years.

Crested Tits are easily recognised by the lack of colour in their plumage as well as the distinctive black and white crest on their heads. The crests are often referred to as “Mohican tufts”.

Adults start breeding when they are 1 year of age. The typical lifespan of the Crested Tit is 2 years.

Crested Tits are resident birds that only live and breed in conifers and pine trees of the ancient Caledonian pine forests of Scotland. A few are found in mixed woodland.

Scots Pine is a habitat requirement as they attract Crested Tits more than any other species of tree.

Most of the population inhabit Speyside and in Inverness. Adults rarely move more than a kilometre, or less than a mile, from the areas when they were hatched.

A few sometimes move to feeders in gardens in the winter where they generally ignore humans.

Crested Tits are much more common among the coniferous forests in central and northern Europe. They prefer Scots Pine but also live happily among deciduous trees in woodland environments. However, Crested Tits in Britain only live in woods and forests where Scots Pine is available.

Scottish Crested Tits are pine specialist who share the same acrobatic characteristics as other members of the tit family. Foraging takes place by clinging to the trunks of trees and hanging upside-down on twigs.

Heather is another essential habitat requirement as they also feed on the ground, particularly during the winter.

The main diet of Crested Tits consists of insects, spiders, seeds and berries. The seeds of pines are particularly favoured in the winter. Food is hidden during the early winter and retrieved later as a store.

They are sociable birds who join flocks of small birds that roam around woodland during the autumn and winter months.

The breeding season is between March and June. Pairs are monogamous and form life-long bonds. They make their nests in the hollows and branches of dead trees. Nest boxes are regularly used.

The female excavates and removes the bark from an old tree. The nest is made of lichens, feathers, moss or other soft material.

Five or six eggs are laid in April and take between 13 and 16 days to hatch. The young learn to fly after 20 or 25 days. Both parents look after the young who raised 1 or 2 broods a year.

The young are able to fly from late May onwards although they rarely travel far. 

The Crested Tit is a green-listed species of bird in Britain. They were moved from amber-listed species of bird to the green list in 2015 because of “improvements” in their population.

The current population is small with only 1000 and 2000 pairs breeding in the UK. However, there has been a small range expansion in recent years.

The Crested tit is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

Europe holds over 95% of the population. The population of Crested Tits has undergone a “moderate decline” between 1980 and 2013.

The main threats experienced by Crested Tits are cold winters and loss of their woodland habitat.

For more information on the Blue Tit of the UK and Ireland, please visit
http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/bird_bluetit.html

Interesting Articles

BTO – Song of the Crested Tit - https://twitter.com/_BTO/status/1090344524617076737
RSPB -
https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/scotland/posts/five-facts-about-crested-tits

Common Buzzard of Britain and Ireland

The Buzzard (Buteo buteo) has recently become the commonest and most widespread bird of prey in Britain. Their population has rapidly increased over the last twenty years, particularly in England. Buzzards became extinct in Ireland until a breeding pair was reported in 1933. The population of Irish Buzzards has also increased and are now found in most counties in Ireland.

Other names for the buzzard are the Common Buzzard and Eurasian Buzzard.

Buzzards are medium-sized birds of prey with wingspans reaching up to between 113 and 128 centimetres, or between 3.7 and 4.2 feet. Males and females are alike although females have larger talons and beaks.

Adults start breeding when they are three years old. The average lifespan of the Buzzard is 12 years.

Pairs of Buzzards live and breed on their territories in a wide variety of habitats throughout the year. They are normally found in woodland, moors, heaths, farmland, bogs, marshes.

Villages are some of their typical haunts although they are now regularly seen near large cities such as Glasgow.

Pairs remain on their territories throughout the year and seldom move more than 100 kilometres or 62 miles, Hunting often takes place outside their territory along the edges of forests or on open land.

The main prey of the Buzzard are  voles, mice, rats, moles, rabbits and hares. They are generalists who also eat young birds such as pigeons and crows, earthworms, amphibians, large insects and carrion such as roadkill.

A great deal of their time is spent perched on trees or poles so they can swoop down on their prey. Buzzards make a cat-like “peee-uu” sound which can be heard during the year.

Buzzards have been resident in every county in Britain since the 1990s. The strongholds of the Buzzard are Scotland, Wales, the Lake District and south-west England. Their range has extended from Lincolnshire, East Anglia and down to Kent since 1991.

The population of Buzzards has increased significantly in Northern Ireland since 1995 according to the British Trust for Ornithology.

The Raptor Study Group in Ireland said “For a bird which became extinct in 1891 in Ireland and only began breeding again on Rathlin in 1933, its current breeding status is remarkable.

Buzzards were “believed to be currently breeding in 18 counties across Ireland with the expectation that it will eventually re-colonise every county in the future
(Irish News - https://www.irishnews.com/…/buzzard-s-eerie-cries-lighten-…/).

Pairs form lifelong bonds and begin breeding between April and May. They normally re-use an old nest in a tree on the edge of woods, a cliff or rocky crag.

Both the male and female make an untidy nest of branches and lined with soft material such as twigs, heather and bracken.

Two to three eggs are laid in April which hatch after 34 days. The chicks learn to fly after 44 to 52 days. The young are cared for by the parents for another 40 days when they become independent.

Sadly, most young buzzards die of starvation before reaching adulthood.

The Common Buzzard is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

Europe holds approximately 75% of the global population. Their numbers in Europe are stable according to Birdlife International.

The Buzzard is a green-listed species of bird in Britain.

Buzzards were common birds of prey across Britain until the nineteenth century. However, persecution by gamekeepers reduced the population to 1000 birds by the 1900s. They were only found in the western areas of Britain by the beginning of the twentieth century.

The number of Buzzard rose during the First and Second World Wars as killing birds of prey was made illegal.

The population of Buzzards was thought to be 10,000 by the mid-1960s.

The use of organochlorine pesticides caused a fall in the number of Buzzards between the 1950s and 1960s. Their food supply was also reduced during this time as myxomatosis killed over 90% of Britain's rabbit population.

The number of Buzzards increased rapidly during the 1990s with an estimated 68,000 pairs in Britain by 2013. Their numbers increased because of less persecution and banning of harmful pesticides.

The population increased rapidly in England by 2009 according to the British Trust for Ornithology. There was a range expansion in central and eastern Britain, making the Buzzard “the most abundant diurnal raptor in Britain”.

The charity also stated there was a “widespread rapid increase across Europe since 1980” (BTO - https://www.bto.org/birdtrends2010/wcrbuzza.shtml ).

Some of the main threats to Buzzards are human interference when nesting and ongoing persecution from gamekeepers.

Bird charities were concerned when Natural England issued a licence to a gamekeeper to kill 10 Buzzards. The gamekeeper believed Buzzards threatened his pheasant farm. They objected to issuing more licences by Natural England.

“Raptor persecution... is difficult to police, difficult to prove and even more difficult to punish” (Wildlife Articles - http://wildlifearticles.co.uk/when-business-is-a-buzzard/ ).

For more information on the Peregrine Falcon of Britain and Ireland, please visit http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/bird_per.html

Interesting Articles
BBC - https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35916515Co

Tawny Owl of Britain

http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/bird_taw.html

Tawny Owls (strix aluco) are the most common and widespread species of owl in Britain. They are nocturnal birds of prey who live and hunt in their traditional woodland environments as well as gardens and parks in towns and cities. Tawny Owls are absent from both Northern and the Republic of Ireland.

There is concern about the Tawny Owl population in Britain which has declined by nearly a third in the last 25 years. The British Trust for Ornithology believes Tawny Owls may be disappearing from towns and cities although the exact reason for their decline remains unknown.

Tawny Owls are shy and solitary birds who inhabit mixed and deciduous woodland where there are mature trees and a plentiful supply of prey. They can be found in open woodland, conifer plantations. farmland with trees, hedgerows, railway tracks, urban parks, churchyards and suburban gardens.

Parks and large gardens with mature trees have allowed Tawny Owls to spread their range to towns and cities. They have even adapted to living in noisy city centres

Tawny Owls are nocturnal birds who hunt between dusk and dawn in woods, on farmland, the edges of woodland railway embankments and roadside verges. Their flight is fast, direct and silent.

They are absent from the Scottish Highlands and some islands such as the Orkney and Shetland Islands. (RSPB - number 3).

Tawny Owls are absent from both Northern and the Republic of Ireland. There are occasional sightings as in 2013 when a Tawny Owl was spotted on an island in County Down (BBC).

They "are our most frequently heard/seen owl in and around gardens...The hooting or "twoo" sound is usually made by the male and is a territorial call. You can sometimes hear a female responding to a male’s "twoo" call with a sharp "kee-wick". Together this duet produces the classic "twit twoo" sound (BTO ).

The folklore and superstitions of Britain associated Tawny Owls with bad luck, witchcraft and omens of death,

The Tawny Owl is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

The global population is not considered Vulnerable due to the wide range of these birds (Eurasia, North Africa) . Europe accounts for 80% of the global range. The global trend is described as stable. The trend for the European population is "unknown" (Birdlife International).

The Tawny Owl is an amber-listed species of bird in Britain. They were moved to the amber list in December 2015 because of a historic decline in the breeding population.

The Tawny Owl population in Britain has shown a "shallow downward trend" since the 1970s (BTO – species).

The Breeding Bird Survey said the resident population of Tawny Owls in Britain:

- declined by 18% between 1995 and 2011 (RSPB)

- declined by 42% between 2012 and 2013 (BBS - page 17)

- increased by 71% between 2013/14 (BBS - page 13)

- declined by22% between 2014/15 (BBS - page 13)

- declined by 13% between 2015/16 (BBS - page 15)

- increased by 17% between 2016/17 (BBS - page 15)

- declined by 6% between 2017/18 (BBS - page 15)

The British Trust for Ornithology said the Tawny Owl population in Britain has fallen by nearly a third in the last 25 years. The reasons for the decline is unknown although a lack of suitable food may be linked to the drop in their numbers.

The charity said in 2015, "Tawny Owls only being reported by 3.6% of BTO Garden BirdWatchers, the second lowest figure for this time of year in a decade" (BTO)..

Tawny Owls were thought to be disappearing from towns and cities according to the BTO. The decline of the Tawny Owl may be linked to "Light pollution and urbanisation " (BBC).

Households with gardens are asked to "help tawny owls by leaving some grassy areas un-mown as this will encourage small rodents to visit.... it is also worth considering providing a Tawny Owl nest box." ( Daily Express).

The Tawny Owl population seems to be thriving in London's Royal Parks as a "baby owl" was found in the grounds in 2019. The owlet is the first to be seen in the area in twelve years (Telegraph).

"Scientists from Aberdeen University and Aix-Marseilles in France have discovered that numbers of field voles, tawny owls’ main prey, have decreased dramatically in the UK".

"Tawny owls only breed when there is sufficient prey. If they breed, how many eggs they lay, and how successful they are when they fledge their chicks –all rely heavily on vole density" (Scotsman).

Persecution by gamekeepers, particularly in Scotland, has been a persistent problem for Tawny Owls (RSPB).

Tawny Owls are particularly vulnerable to car accidents. "Being hit by a vehicle is the most reported cause of death for Tawny Owls, followed by train casualty and drowning in artificial water containers like horse or cattle troughs (BBC). .

Other reasons given for their decline include loss of woodland habitat, harsh weather conditions (BBC) and collision with overhead powerlines.

Chaffinch of the UK and Ireland

http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/bird_chaf.html

The Chaffinch (fringilla coelebs), is one of the more familiar and colourful garden birds of the UK and Ireland. They are are also known as the Common Chaffinch and Eurasian Chaffinch.

The Chaffinch belongs to the Fringillidae (or Finch) family of birds that includes the Brambling. Adults start breeding when they are 1 year old. The average lifespan of these birds is about 3 years.

Chaffinches are sociable birds that inhabit areas where there are suitable trees and shrubs for nesting such as conifers and deciduous woodland, hedges with trees, parks and large gardens in towns and cities.

The preferred habitat is open woodland but can be found on farmland in the autumn and winter. They have adapted well to urban environments.

They can often be heard singing their distinctive pink-pink or rain-rain song loudly from a tree or shrub.

Their diet is mainly of seeds from various types of plants that include weeds, grasses and goosefoot which they forage for on the ground (lawns, woodland floor).

Insects, caterpillars and other invertebrates are eaten in the summer and are found in trees and bushes. Insects are fed to the chicks in the summer.

Chaffinches are also fond of beech mast if it is plentiful.

They are often seen in gardens looking for food, especially Sunflower hearts, underneath bird tables rather than on them.

Chaffinches are resident birds that may be seen all year round in all parts of the UK and Ireland (except for northern-most areas of Scotland).

Wintering Chaffinches from northern Europe and Scandinavia migrate to the UK and Ireland and join resident birds in the autumn.

Flocks, often mixed with other Finches (Bramblings), Bunting and Sparrows, are formed in the autumn and winter. Most resident Chaffinches remain near their breeding territories all year round.

Some move away when the winter weather is very cold but return later.

Female Chaffinches in Northern Europe and Scandinavia tend to migrate further than males in winter.

Resident birds in the UK and Ireland are joined by large numbers of wintering Chaffinches. Single-sex flocks of all males and all females are often seen in winter in Britain and Ireland.

Their unusual behaviour has earned them the scientific name of coelebs which means "bachelor" birds.

Research by Duke University in America have found male Chaffinches have developed regional "accents" in different parts of the world ( Daily Mail).

The female builds a neat cup-shaped nest in the fork of a tree or tall bush. The outer layer is of lichens and spiders' web and the inner layer is of moss and grass lined with feathers.

Four to six eggs are laid between April and June. Eggs hatch after 10 to 16 days and the young are fledged after 11 to 18 days. The female tends to the chicks in the nest and both parent look after the young when they leave the nest.

Crows, cats, and squirrels are their natural predators.

The global population is not considered Vulnerable by conservationist groups due to the extensive range of these birds (Eurasia, North Africa). The European population is regarded as Secure (Birdlife International).

The Chaffinch is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

The Common Chaffinch, or Chaffinch, is a green-listed species of bird in Britain.

The Breeding Bird Survey said the resident population of Chaffinches in Britain:

• - increased by 12% between 1995 and 2011 (RSPB)
• - declined by 5% between 2013/14 (BBS 2013/14 - page 13)
• - increased by 2% between 2014/15 (BBS - page 13)
• - declined of 11% between 2015/16 in the UK (BBS - page 15)
• - declined by 9% between 2016/17 (BBS - page 15)
• - declined by 2% between 2017/18 (BBS - page 15)

The Chaffinch population has increased because of the spread of forest plantations. It is also thought the increase is because of the "use of trees and shrubs for feeding and nesting in the farming landscape and the ability to utilize unkempt hedgerows may have contributed to the ability of Chaffinches to persist on farmland despite wide-scale agricultural change in recent decades (Taylor and Francis).

Fewer Chaffinches were seen in gardens in 2012 and 2015. The main reason given was the "the chaffinch eat seeds or insects, which are easy to find in the countryside when the weather is mild" ( Guardian).

The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwath said in 2018 that "Blue tits and chaffinches were also seen more often" in gardens. The effect of the severe weather known in 2018 called the "Beast from the East" will not be known until the end of this year's breeding season.

The charity also said "The long-term trend seen in the data from the birdwatch, which began in 1979, shows chaffinches have declined by 55% but all the tits have increased. “The general feeling is that tits are able to adapt better and take advantage of the resources people provide in their gardens” (Guardian).

The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch revealed the Chaffinch was one of the UK's most common garden birds in 2014 (ITV).

Chaffinches are also susceptible to trichomonosis which is a bird disease that also affects Greenfinches. The population of Chaffinches in the UK declined by 7% between 2005 (first reported) and 2011 because of the disease.

There are concerns about trichomonosis affecting the bird population in Europe when it was found in Finland, Norway and Sweden in 2008 (BBC).

The Chaffinch is also a green-listed species of bird in the Republic of Ireland. Birdwatch reported the Chaffinch population in Ireland increased between 1998 and 2010 ( Birdwatch - page 6).

The Chaffinch was one of Ireland's most abundant and widespread common garden birds in 2011/12 according to Birdwatch ( Birdwatch - page 2).

Chaffinches were also found to be suffering from trichomonosis and Birdwatch have asked anyone who has seen infected birds to contact them.

Blue Tit of the UK and Ireland

http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/bird_bluetit.html

The Blue Tit (cyanistes caeruleus) is one of the more colourful and familiar small garden birds of Britain and Ireland. They were originally woodland birds who have adapted to living in gardens and parks in towns and cities. The Blue Tit population has increased in recent years mainly because of peanuts and other food left for them by people in gardens. Other names for the Blue Tit include the Eurasian Blue Tit, the 
Tom Tit, Blue cap, Tit mouse, "Blue Nun" (Ireland) and Blue bonnet.

The Blue Tit was classified as Cyanistes in 2005 and is a genus of birds in the tit family Paridae. Cyanistes is from the Greek meaning "dark blue". Blue Tits are the most common resident species of Tit in Europe and the only member of the Tit family who has blue colouration.

Blue Tits are sociable and active birds who live in trees, shrubs, bushes and hedges in a wide variety of habitats. They are regularly found in woodland, farmland, parks and gardens.

Areas with large, mature trees such as oak trees in deciduous and mixed woodland are preferred. Mature oak trees provide a lot of dead wood for nesting. Fewer Blue Tits are found in conifer trees.

They were originally woodland birds who have adapted to living near humans in suburban gardens and parks in cities. Food left in gardens are a valuable source of nourishment all year round.

Resident birds do not migrate in winter and tend to remain near the places where they hatched. Breeding usually occurs in the same areas they inhabit.

Their main diet is omnivorous and includes insects (flies, aphids etc) and their larvae (caterpillars), spiders, seeds, grain, fruit, berries, nuts (eg birch), buds and scraps left in gardens. Thousands of caterpillars are fed to the young in the summer.

Most resident Blue Tits do not move far from the areas they inhabit. They regularly feed in hedgerows, trees, bushes, shrubs while foraging for food.

Small flocks are formed in the winter with other small birds such as Great Tits, Long-Tailed Tits, Goldcrests and Treecreepers which roam around woodland, gardens and parks looking for food.

Some Blue Tits fly from Scandinavia and northern Europe and spend the winter on the east and south-east coasts of Britain. Occasionally there are large scale seasonal movements in winter (or an irruption) when birds from Europe fly across the North Sea to escape very cold winter weather conditions.

The Blue Tit is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

The Blue Tit is a green-listed species of bird in Britain.

The British Trust for Ornithology said the Blue Tit population increased up to 2010, especially in England. "Food provision in gardens during winter and availability of nest boxes, which may reduce egg and nestling predation, have both increased and may have contributed to the rise in population".

The charity also said, "Numbers have shown widespread shallow increase across Europe since 1980" (BTO - trends).

The breeding population of Blue Tits in Britain:

• - increased by 7% between 1995 and 2011 (RSPB)
• - increased by 2% between 2013/14 (BBS -page 13)
• - increased by 2% between 2014/15 (BBS - page 13)
• - declined by 7% between 2015/16 (BBS - page 15)
• - declined by 5% between 2016/17 (BBS - page 15)
• - increased by 13% between 2017/18 (BBS - page 15)

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch found in 2018 that all the species of Tit, including Blue Tits, have increased. "The general feeling is that tits are able to adapt better and take advantage of the resources people provide in their gardens" (Guardian). Nest boxes have also helped the population increase in both Britain and Ireland.

Blue Tits have also benefited from "mild start to the winter that followed a good breeding season" in 2017.

"The event took place before the freezing weather dubbed the 'Beast from East' arrived and the storm’s impact will not be known until later in the year after breeding number surveys are completed".

The British Trust for Ornithology said, " cold, wet weather in the spring of 2015 resulted in a particularly poor breeding season for blackbirds, great tits and blue tits, with numbers all well below average during the second half of 2015" (Guardian).

Cold, wet weather in the breeding season can affect the Blue Tit population quite severely, especially if bad weather coincides with the emergence of woodland caterpillars.

Scientists in Britain said in 2018 that Blue Tits and other woodland birds could be affected by climate change. "With spring coming earlier due to rising temperatures, leaves and caterpillars emerge earlier in the year, and forest birds which feed on them have to breed sooner to avoid missing out on food sources for their hungry chicks".

"The earlier the spring, the less able the birds are to do this, and the peak in caterpillars is more out of sync with the peak in chicks demanding food" (Irish News).

The Blue Tit is also green listed in Ireland. Birdwatch reported the population was stable with a slight increase between 1998 and 2010 (Birdwatch - page 6). The Birdwatch Survey said they were the third most commonly seen bird in gardens in 2016 (Irish Examiner).

Pied Wagtail of Britain and Ireland

The Pied Wagtail (motacilla (alba) yarrellii) is a common and familiar wild bird of the UK and Ireland. They are also known as the Wagtail, "willie wagtail", "washtail" and "peggy dishwasher".

The Wagtail earned its name because it runs very fast in short rushes on the ground, wagging its long tail up and down on each pause.

Pied Wagtails are active birds that live in a wide variety of habitats which include farmland, the open countryside, hedgerows, parks, playing fields, urban environments, edges of moorland, marshland, reed beds, and long rivers, lakes streams and ponds.

The preferred habitat is near water but also live happily in areas without water. (Grey Wagtails are found more near water than Pied Wagtails). Wagtails have adapted well to urban environments.

Their main diet is insectivorous and eat all kinds of insects (flies, moths and their larvae). Craneflies and mayflies are fed to the chicks in the summer. Seeds may also be eaten in the winter.

Noise and human activity (eg machinery) are generally ignored when foraging for food, nesting etc.

Pied Wagtails are thought of as a popular and common wild bird, especially in towns and cities. They are resident birds in the UK and Ireland who may be seen in most areas throughout the year.

Pied Wagtails in southern Britain are resident birds whereas those in the north fly further distances. Some from Ireland winter in France and Spain.

Researchers found in 2011 that Pied Wagtails in northern Britain "winter in small numbers in a few locations along the Scottish east and west coast and Central Lowlands but in larger numbers in south‐west Lancashire, the Midlands and the lowlands of central and southern England".

Flocks may be seen gathering at dusk, in both the summer and winter in supermarkets, car parks, industrial estates, hospitals etc before roosting. Noisy roosts range from hundreds to four thousand birds, especially in the winter when they are attracted to towns and cities (BBC).

The breeding season begins in April. Pairs breed in various types of habitats which include the edges of moorland, farmland and other types of open countryside. Breeding also takes place to a lesser extent in towns and cities. Breeding birds seem to prefer areas with mixed farming.

Nests are built in holes, crevices or on ledges and made in places such as banks, ditches and buildings. The old nests of Blackbirds or other birds are sometimes used.

The White Wagtail/Pied Wagtail is considered to be of Least Concern by IUCN.

The European population of Wagtails is considered to be Secure (Birdlife International).

The Pied Wagtail is a green-listed species of bird in Britain.

Britain and Ireland hold nearly all of the population of the yarrellii race and so any changes are of global significance.

The population in Britain showed "strong" increases until the mid-1970's. There were moderate declines along waterways since then (BTO).

The Breeding Bird Survey said the population of Pied Wagtails in Britain:

• - declined by 13% between 1995 and 2011 (RSPB)
• - increased by 21% between 2013/14 (BBS - page 13)
• - declined by 1% between 2014/15 (BBS - page 13)
• - declined by 4% between 2015/16 in the UK (BBS - page 15)
• - increased by 1% between 2016/17 (BBS - page 15)
• - declined by 25% between 2017/18 (BBS - page 15)

Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS) said in 2014 that the Grey and Pied Wagtail populations "recorded a rapid decline..along rivers and canals".

The report also said, "the Pied Wagtail decline is steeper in the WBBS trends than the BBS trends... suggesting that there might be a common factor affecting both species relating to the riverine habitat" ( Telegraph).

The Pied Wagtail is a green-listed species of bird in Ireland. Birdwatch stated the population in Ireland was stable (Birdwatch - pages 6 to 8).