Penduline Tit - Administrația Parcul Natural Văcărești

Penduline Tit – Remiz pendulinus

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Remizidae
Genre: Remiz
Species: Remiz pendulinus

Identification characters

It is one of the species that builds perhaps the most interesting nest of all bird species in Romania. The nest, shaped like a bagpipe, has an entrance passageway at the top and is woven from fine bark and seed threads of downy trees such as willow and poplar. It is a small bird (11 cm long). The beak is tapered and pointed. The adult is brown on the back, greyish-yellow on the head and tail, reddish on the breast and belly. The black eye mask is present in both sexes, the male is broader.

Distribution

The Penduline Tit, also called the stonechat, nests in central and southern Europe and as far west as Kazakhstan. It is absent from northern Eurasia, Britain and much of France. It is a migratory species, wintering in the southern and central parts of its range. In the southern part of its range it is a sedentary bird. The world population is estimated at over 1,400,000 and is increasing. In Romania, the breeding population ranges from 14,771 to 37,173 pairs.

Living environment and biology of the species

The Penduline Tit is found in reedy areas near lakes, rivers and marshes. Northern populations migrate to Mediterranean countries in winter. In August-September the autumn migration begins and the birds return to their nesting grounds in April-May. Maximum longevity is seven years. Reaching sexual maturity at one year. By day they forage in crevices in the bark of trees with their long beaks. Feeds on insects and spiders, but sometimes also consumes flower nectar or various fruits and seeds. The nesting begins in late April. It is a monogamous species. Males build a pear-shaped nest of plant fibres, wool and spider webbing in 12 to 14 days at a height of 3-15 m.

The nest is suspended from a willow, poplar or maple branch, often over water. Males sing near the nest to attract females. The female chooses her mate according to the quality of the nest built. She prefers larger nests. The female begins to work with the male on this preferred nest. If the female does not pay attention to the nest started by the male, the nest is abandoned and the male flies to another place to start a new construction.

The female lays between 5 and 10 matt white eggs. After 13-14 days, the young hatch. 18-24 days after hatching, the young leave the nest. One of the parents, either the male or the female, leaves the nest after the eggs have been laid and the other partner remains to care for the young. Both partners tend to become polygamous.

Each, both male and female, can have up to 6 partners during a breeding season. The male leaves the nest when the female begins laying eggs, starting another nest and another breeding cycle. In order to leave first, the female buries eggs already laid in the nest fluff, thus deceiving the male, who is waiting for the eggs to lay. Quite often both the nest and the clutch are left by both partners. In this situation both partners, the egg-producing female and the nest-building male, use up their energy, with no clear benefit to the species.

Threats and conservation measures

The species may be threatened by habitat loss and alteration, pollution and poor water management. Conservation requires that building restrictions in riparian areas are respected, that wetland vegetation is maintained at an ecologically optimal level for the species, that the burning of riparian vegetation including reed-covered areas is prohibited, that reed beds with permanent water are preserved as characteristic habitat, that waste and wastewater around wetlands are properly managed, that measures are taken to avoid eutrophication and sedimentation of wetlands, and that water level management in aquatic ecosystems takes into account the ecological needs of the species. It is recommended to maintain uncultivated strips of at least 1.5 m between cultivated land and wetlands, where the use of chemicals is strictly prohibited, and to encourage the use of selective and low-toxicity agrochemicals and avoid the use of treated seeds on neighbouring land. Organic production should be encouraged. Last but not least, it is recommended that an inventory be made of breeding areas, migration, feeding and aggregation areas that are important for the conservation of the species, and that studies on various aspects of the species’ biology be promoted.

Bibliography

Fântână Ciprian, Kovács Istvan, Benkő Zoltán, Daròczi Szilárd, Domșa Cristian, Veres-Szászka Judit (editors), 2022, Atlas of bird species of community interest in Romania, 2nd edition – Love birds, save nature!, Project financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme 2014-2020, Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests – Biodiversity Directorate, scientific coordination Romanian Ornithological Society and Association for the Protection of Birds and Nature Milvus Group, produced by EXCLUS PROD SRL, p. 504.
Svensson (text and maps), 2017, Guide to bird identification. Europe and the Mediterranean area, translation and adaptation into Romanian: Romanian Ornithological Society, Emanuel Ștefan Baltag, Sebastian Bugariu, Alida Barbu, p. 346.
Radu Dimitrie (1983)- Mic atlas ornitologic – Pajările lumii, Editura Albatros, București, p.212-21.