Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) lives in temperate deciduous woodland across Temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A real field recording of the Willow Tit, made in the wild.
The willow tit excavates its own nesting cavity, even boring through hard bark, usually in a rotten stump or decayed tree. It lines the hole with a cup of felted material such as fur, hair and wood chips, occasionally adding feathers. The female lays a clutch of six to nine eggs, each about 15.8 mm × 12.3 mm and weighing 1.2 g, and incubates them alone for 13-15 days. After hatching, both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 17-20 days.
Across its extensive Palearctic range the willow tit numbers between 175 million and 253 million mature individuals. This abundance means the species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, despite a slow overall decline.
In Britain the willow tit population fell by 83 % between 1995 and 2017, a sharp contraction that also reduced its distribution. The decline is linked to loss of suitable woodland habitat and intense competition for nest holes, especially from blue tits. Increased predation by the great spotted woodpecker, whose numbers rose fourfold in the same period, further pressures the species.
Juvenile willow tits survive their first winter at a rate of just 58 %, and once adult they face a 64 % annual survival probability. Because of these modest odds the average bird lives only about three years after its first year, although a few individuals have far outlived this norm. The longest-recorded lifespans reach 11 years, with such birds documented in Finland and near Nottingham in England.
A willow tit clutch usually contains six to nine eggs, each a tiny white capsule speckled with red-brown marks that concentrate toward the broader end. The female incubates them alone for 13-15 days before the chicks hatch, after which both parents feed the nestlings until they fledge around three weeks later.
Sources
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RangeTemperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia
HabitatTemperate deciduous woodland
DietInsects and seeds
About the Willow Tit
In the misty dawn of a woodland glade, the Willow Tit flits with quiet purpose, its soft grey plumage blending seamlessly into the shadows as it forages for seeds and insects with an air of understated industry. With a flick of its black cap and a twitch of its white cheeks, this unassuming bird navigates the dense underbrush with an effortless agility, its tiny feet barely touching the branches as it weaves a intricate path through the trees. As it moves, the Willow Tit's gentle, melancholic song drifts through the forest, a haunting melody that seems to capture the very essence of the woodland's secrets.
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