Aegithalidae
Bushtits | |
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Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus | |
Song of the American bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Superfamily: | Sylvioidea |
Family: | Aegithalidae Reichenbach, 1850 |
Genera | |
Aegithalos
Hermann 1804 |
The bushtits or long-tailed tits are small
Distribution and habitat
All the Aegithalidae are forest birds, particularly forest edge and
Description
They are small birds, measuring 9 to 14 cm (3.5–5.5 in) in length, including the relatively long tail, and weighing just 4.5 to 9 g (0.16–0.32 oz). Their plumage is typically dull grey or brown, although some species have white markings and the long-tailed tit has some pinkish colour.[2] In contrast to the rest of the family the two Leptopoecile tit-warblers are quite brightly coloured, having violet and blue plumage. The crested tit-warbler is the only member of the family to have a crest. The bills in this family are tiny, short and conical in shape. The wings are short and rounded and the legs are relatively long.
Behaviour
Birds in this family live in flocks ranging from 4 to over 50 individuals.[3][4] Flocks form as soon as one breeding season finishes and last until the next one begins. They maintain contact by contact calls that vary among species; their songs are quiet or nonexistent.[2][4] Other species of birds, such as tits or warblers, will occasionally join the flock to forage.[3]
Diet and feeding
Bushtits are insectivorous, primarily eating insects and other invertebrates
Breeding
The family generally has a monogamous breeding system; however, there is some evidence that the American bushtit may be frequently polyandrous and occasionally polygynandrous or polygynous.[7][4] Pairs may be aided by helpers, where a related or unrelated individual (or more than one) helps the established pair raise the young. This has been recorded in at least four of the species; further research is required to see if the behavior carries over to other members of the family.[1][3][7][4] Aegithalids make domed or hanging, bag-like nests of woven cobwebs and lichen, which they line with feathers. Many nests are constructed in trees with thick foliage, making them difficult for predators to find.[5] However, the American bushtit often places nests such that it is entirely exposed.[4] The clutch comprises 5 to 10 white eggs, which in many of the species have red speckles. Adults incubate the eggs for 13 to 14 days; young stay in the nest for 16 to 18 days. In at least four of the species (the long-tailed tit, the black-throated bushtit, and silver-throated bushtit), only the female incubates.[2][3] Young chicks are fed exclusively on insects and spiders.[1]
Taxonomy
Cladogram showing the family relationships based on a study by Carl Oliveros and colleagues published in 2019. International Ornithological Committee (IOC).[9]
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The family Aegithalidae (as a subfamily Aegithalinae) was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1850.[10][11] The name comes from the Ancient Greek word aigithalos for a tit. Aristotle recognised three species: the long-tailed tit, the great tit, and the Eurasian blue tit.[12]
The pygmy bushtit is placed in this family because it moves around in flocks and its nests resemble the long-tailed tits', but information about it is so scanty that the placement is only provisional.[2] The Burmese bushtit is sometimes treated as conspecific with the black-browed bushtit.[1] The American bushtit was once thought to belong to the chickadee family, but it has distinctive behavioral habits, especially when it comes to nesting.[6]
There are 13 species in 3 genera.[13][14][15]
Image | Genus | Living species |
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Leptopoecile Severtzov, 1873 |
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Psaltriparus Bonaparte, 1850 |
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Aegithalos Hermann, 1804 |
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References
- ^ ISBN 978-84-96553-45-3.
- ^ ISBN 1-55297-777-3.
- ^ S2CID 945139.
- ^ a b c d e Sloane, S.A. 2001. Bushtit. In Birds of North America, A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, F. Gill, Eds. Philadelphia: American Ornithologists Union.
- ^ ISBN 1-85391-186-0.
- ^ a b c Kaufman, K. (1996). Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin: Boston.
- ^ JSTOR 4088855.
- PMID 30936315.
- Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List Version 11.2". International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1850). Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Vögel (in German). Vol. Apt. II Band I. Dresden: Expedition der Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. Plate LXII.
- hdl:2246/830.
- ^ Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Bushtits, leaf warblers, reed warblers". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- S2CID 246050277. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- PMID 20102744.
- Harrap and Quinn, Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers ISBN 0-7136-3964-4
External links
- Long-tailed Tits videos Archived 2016-03-16 at the Wayback Machine on the Internet Bird Collection