Marsh Tit: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Songbirds · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Marsh tits hoard seeds: in one study in Norway, birds ate 43 seeds an hour and hid 83.
2. Other birds steal hidden seeds, so a marsh tit often flies from site to site before choosing a hiding place.
3. Marsh tits memorise where they hid each seed and tend to retrieve the oldest items first.
4. A marsh tit's hippocampus, a part of the brain, is 31% bigger than a great tit's, though the great tit is the larger bird.
5. Marsh tits are faithful partners and often stay paired for life. One couple was together for six years.

The quiz

1. How many seeds per hour did marsh tits hide in a study in Norway?

• 43
• 83 (correct)
• 8
• 200

Birds ate 43 seeds an hour and hid 83.

2. Why does a marsh tit often fly from site to site before hiding a seed?

• To warm up its wings
• To find water
• To confuse hawks
• Because hidden seeds get stolen (correct)

Other birds steal hidden seeds, so it moves around before choosing a hiding place.

3. What does a marsh tit tend to retrieve first?

• The oldest items (correct)
• The newest items
• The biggest seeds
• The smallest seeds

It tends to retrieve the oldest items first.

4. How much bigger is a marsh tit's hippocampus than a great tit's?

• 3%
• 13%
• 31% (correct)
• 50%

Its hippocampus is 31% bigger than a great tit's.

5. How long did one marsh tit pair stay together?

• One year
• Six years (correct)
• Two years
• Ten years

One pair stayed together for six years.

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