Male Bearded Tit

I have been away for a while!!!

Bearded tits are only found in reedbeds where they nest among the reed stems and feed on reed seeds and reedbed insects. Latest research suggests there are less than 500 pairs in the UK and they are one of the country’s rarest birds, and thus are a target for special conservations effort by the RSPB. This bird was taken at Leighton Moss in Lancashire where the conservation is in place supplying grit feeders, habitat and special wigwam nests that can be raised when water levels rise ensuring nesting is successful. The Bearded tit needs grit to help grind and digest the reed seeds. Talking to someone at Leighton last week I learnt that in Germany dissection of Bearded tits had taken place and as many as 600 fine grains of grit were found in the stomach and gut of a bird to help with the digestion of the tough seeds.The leg rings help the RSPB identify each bird and establish the life span of the resident birds and how successful their site management has been and whether the number of birds resident are increasing – which they are.

 

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