The Bearded Tit, also sometimes known as the Bearded Reedling, is one of the smaller varieties of passerine bird. Although the species has some similarities with long-tailed tits, it is considered to be a unique species of songbird and there are no other bird types that seem to be a close relation to it.
The usual habitat of the Bearded Tit is in the temperate zones of Asia and Europe. The species does not like cold weather and is particularly vulnerable to a harsh winter, which can cause many birds to die.
The bird has a long tail, is brown-orange in color and the male bird has a black moustache and a grey head. The species has a distinctive undulating flight and their presence is often betrayed by the rather unusual and instantly recognizable call, sounding like a pinging noise.
The diet of the Bearded Tit is quite unusual. Remarkably, these birds change their diets completely between summer and winter. They eat insects in the summer, but feed on seeds in the autumn, when they need grit to help them digest the tough seeds.
There are less than 500 pairs in the UK and they are one of the country’s rarest birds.