Conservation & Ecology


inches long, seven along the wing tips, and weighing only about 10 grams (roughly the same weight as a large coin). They are smaller than many other birds in the Paridae family.


They are also notable for their distinctive call, which is far louder than the bird’s size would suggest and ranges from a begging tone to laughter.


The area Paul highlighted, spreading from Wigan and Warrington in the west to Manchester in the east, is the UK’s primary hotspot for the birds.


When it nests in hollows and tree trunks, it is known to scrape away at the tree’s core like a woodpecker, and even clean the walls of the alcove with its beak.


It is a habitually clean and tidy bird, although this is somewhat typical of those which make their nests in materials which are prone to decay.


Willow tit (Poecile montanus); one of the loudest of the UK tits


When they build these nests, they tend to use the softest materials they can find. At times, this includes feathers from both themselves and other birds.


Threats to the willow tit


Marsh tit (Poecile palustris); usually distinguished by its much quieter song


At the last official count by the RSPB, the willow tit was reported to have around 3,400 mating pairs remaining. They have marked it ‘red status’ for conservation in the UK due to ‘severe breeding population decline’ and ‘severe breeding range contraction’. It is one of the most quickly declining bird populations in our country, and it is thought that over 80% of the UK population has diminished within just 20‐or‐so years. Whilst they are disappearing rapidly on our side of the water, it should be noted that the International Union for Conservation of Nature has them down as a ‘Least Concern’ animal, as they are more stable across much of Eastern Europe and Asia.


Over here, though, and especially in the rugby league heartland, what is most threatening to the willow tit is the continuing presence of the larger great tit and more numerous blue tit.


Blue tits are the same size ‐ or negligibly different ‐ as willow tits. They differ most significantly in colour, which is a result of carotene pigment (like the krill consumed by flamingos) present in the caterpillars they eat.


Coal tit (Periparus ater); superficially similar, but its larger bib, white nape and white wing bars are easy distinguishing marks, as is its preference for pine trees ©Aviceda


Whilst the great tit is the larger of the three bird types and a direct competitor in terms of resources, it is non‐aggressive. Because of this, flocks of each integrate with each other. The willow tit rarely joins this behaviour as its numbers are so limited. They also hunt insects and spiders, whilst also eating nuts and seeds when these are unavailable, which are the staple foods of the willow tit. As the blue tit is a somewhat more successful predator, these foods tend to be unavailable for the willow tit in areas of blue tit dominance.


The blue tit’s sheer numbers are perhaps the greatest risk factor for the willow tit. Their numbers have been estimated to around 3.5 million breeding pairs in the UK. This is such a major problem for the willow tit because of how easily blue tits take to


112 I PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018


nesting holes – when one pair dies, another almost immediately takes up residence in their old home.


Birds in the species are also known to be feisty, even where humans and larger animals are concerned. They fight for the responsibility for their territory and young.


Solutions


The most useful thing that can be done for the willow tit is to act upon the information above and prevent the blue tit from completely dominating an area. Unfortunately, much of the care a willow tit can receive is simply lack of care for other animals. Predation is another major factor in their decline, and the animal can be protected by ensuring the grey squirrel and larger woodpeckers are unable to consume the eggs from their nests.


Lastly, it is important to prevent the eradication of scrubland and what is so often pejoratively called ‘brownfield’ land (which should simply mean ‘land which can support life at danger on greenfield’).


Damp and mossy territory supports such life so well because it supports the smaller life upon which it feeds, such as caterpillars, worms and insects.


When trying to leave areas in which the willow tit can thrive, it can be as simple as leaving around some dead wood and tree trunks in areas which wouldn’t be cleared anyway ‐ simple methods like this can be the difference between continuation and death for delicate species.


The Paridae


This family of birds contains the UK tits (correctly titmice), chickadees and titmice. Although broad in terms of number of species, the Paridae family is markedly non‐ diverse.


They are almost exclusively small birds, but have strong bodies for their size. They are also marked by short, thick and pointed bills which are effective for eating nuts and other hard items of non‐animal food. The differences between the species are so negligible that there are frequent debates between experts on whether hundreds of subspecies should be solely identified. They are regarded as amongst the most intelligent of birds.


Tits are known for their incessant noise. It is said that the only time a member of the family will stop calling is when it knows it can benefit by being quiet.


Their skills include the almost bat‐like behaviour of hanging from impressively small branches. From this position, they can pluck the most nutritious fruits and nuts from the tips of the branches.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156