Tay reedbeds are home to 45 per cent of the bearded tits in Britain
A site in Scotland has unexpectedly turned out to be the UK headquarters of one of the UK’s most charismatic and strangest bird species.
The population of bearded tits inhabiting the River Tay reedbads is booming, wildlife charity RSPB Scotland has said.
This is despite the fact that the birds only colonised the area in the 1990s – before which they had been most closely associated with extensive reedbeds in East Anglia.
Records from ringing work – where ornithologists fit minute identification bands on the birds’ legs to gather monitoring data on their movements and lifespan – has shown that 2014 was a record-breaking year.
A total of 723 birds were ringed at the Tay reedbeds – more than double the number in 2013.
|Appropriate management could even help encourage these birds to spread and occupy new reedbeds
Data from the British Trust for Ornithology also showed that the Tay reedbeds were home to 45 per cent of the bearded tits ringed in Britain last year, highlighting the importance of this site to the country’s population.
Half of the beds – the most extensive in Scotland – are under protection of RSPB Scotland, which works with local landowners to protect and conserve this important habitat which is also home to species such as sedge warblers, water rails, marsh harriers, and reed buntings.
Bearded tits are found only in reedbeds and the historic loss of habitat across Britain has resulted in the population being fragmented and dissipated across isolated areas.
The birds – also known as reedlings – have proved something of a conundrum to scientists who are unclear which other species they are related to.
Despite their name, they are not members of the tit family, and it has been speculated they belong to either the parrotbill or babbler familes, both of which are found mainly in the tropics.
Recent thinking suggests they form a family of their own, not closely related to any living group of species.
Heather McCallum, RSPB Scotland reserves ecologist, said: “The Tay reedbeds are a stronghold for bearded tits in Britain and this data not only underlines the importance of the Tay reedbeds to the population but also demonstrates how the careful management of this environment has enabled these birds to thrive here.
“Bearded tits are an amber list species and although 2014 was a good year for them at the Tay they are vulnerable to severe winters. Numbers can fluctuate year on year so it’s vital that we continue to manage the reedbeds to maximise the quality of their habitat."
Iain Malzer, who has conduced PhD research into the species on the Tay, said: “The bearded tits on the Tay are reacting positively to RSPB Scotland’s reed management and over the course of the study we’ve learned lots about how these birds interact with their specialist habitat.
“We placed radio-trackers on close to 40 bearded tits over two breeding seasons, allowing us real insight into the habitat selection of these normally elusive birds. We noticed that, while old, dry, patches of reed are critical for nesting, almost all foraging trips occurred in more open, previously managed reed where invertebrates were easier to catch. The key looks to be in creating patches of reed at different ages, offering a variety of resources for the bearded tits to exploit.
“The staggering numbers recorded on the Tay in 2014, which were almost certainly due to a combination of management and favourable breeding conditions, led to the dispersal of many individuals throughout Scotland. Thus, appropriate management at this site could even help encourage these birds to spread and occupy new reedbeds.”
