Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus pendulinus
Karrendorfer Wiesen, Vorpommern, NE Germany, March 2006

The Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus is not a tit (Paridae) but one of thirteen members of the Remidae, a family ranging right across Eurasia (Remiz and Cephalopyrus), throughout Africa (Anthoscopus and Pholidornis), and - if current thinking is followed - is represented in the Nearctic by the Verdin Auriparus flaviceps. All members build elaborate “hanging-basket” nests - except for the Verdin and the Fire-capped Tit of South-east Asia.

Migratory in the north of its range, the Eurasian Penduline Tit is a widespread breeding bird in and around reedbeds, ponds and ditches in much of central and eastern Europe. They build their nests on thin branches and particularly favour sites with birch, willow, and alder trees. They are numerous in some wetlands of eastern Europe including Neusiedl (Austria), the Hortobagy (Hungary), Kopacki Rit (Croatia), Porto Lagos (Greece) and Lake Apolyont (Turkey), and is spreading westwards. It already breeds at eg several sites in Denmark, Belgium and Holland, and are seen regularly in eastern France.

The bird in the photographs below is a male: females have narrower masks and less intensely-coloured backs.

 

 

 

 

 

All photos copyright Charlie Moores