Aegithalidae

Taxobox
name = Long-tailed Tits


image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Aegithalos caudatus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
subordo = Passeri
familia = Aegithalidae
familia_authority = Reichenbach, 1850
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Aegithalos"
Hermann 1804
"Psaltriparus"
Townsend, 1837
"Psaltria"
Temminck 1836

The Long-tailed tits or Bushtits [Gill, F., Wright, M. & Donsker, D. (2008). IOC World Bird Names (version 1.6). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/] , Aegithalidae, are a family of small passerine birds. Most species live in mountainous habitats in and around the Himalayas, but the Bushtit is native to North America, while the Long-tailed Tit lives across Eurasia, from Britain to Japan.

They are small birds, measuring 10 to 12 centimetres in length, including the relatively long tail, and weighing just 6 to 8 grams. Their plumage is typically dull grey or brown in colour, although some species have white or pinkish markings. They are omnivorous, primarily eating insects and seeds, and have a small bill.cite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author= Perrins, C.|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 202|isbn= 1-85391-186-0]

Aegilthalids make domed, bag-like, nests of woven cobwebs and lichen, which they line with feathers. They make the nests in trees with thick foliage, making them difficult for predators to find.

Classification

There are 8 species in 3 genera.

"Aegithalos"
*Long-tailed Tit, "Aegithalos caudatus "
*White-cheeked Tit, "Aegithalos leucogenys"
*Black-throated Tit, "Aegithalos concinnus"
*White-throated Tit, "Aegithalos niveogularis"
*Black-browed Tit, "Aegithalos iouschistos"
*Sooty Tit, "Aegithalos fuliginosus"

"Psaltriparus"
*Bushtit, "Psaltriparus minimus"

"Psaltria"
*Pygmy Tit, "Psaltria exilis"

References

* Harrap and Quinn, "Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers" ISBN 0-7136-3964-4

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=153 Long-tailed Tits videos] on the Internet Bird Collection