In preparation for our Big Garden Birdwatch on 25 - 27 January we'll be introducing you to some of the birds that you're likely to find in gardens.
Today's bird is the Long-tailed tit
Photo by Anne Harwood
Watching a excitable gang of long-tailed tits visiting your feeders is such a treat. These lovely birds almost always come in a gang - you'll hear their high pitched calls first of all and then one after another lollipop-shaped birds will flit across from the treetops and hand acrobatically from the bird feeder.
The gang is an extended family who will spend most of the year together, roaming the woodland in search of food, keeping an eye open for danger and snuggling together in overnight roosts to stay warm.
When they pair up in springtime they build the most incredible nest - an elaborate dome created from moss, lichen and spiders silk and lined with around 1500 feathers. The strength and flexibility of the spiders silk means that the nest can expand and flex as the eggs hatch and the chicks grow.
Long-tailed tits are primarily insect eaters but have learnt that the bird feeders in our gardens sometimes contain suet balls or pellets that really help to keep their energy levels up in winter.
We recommend our super suet balls with mealworms or our buggy coconut treats - a fantastic way to entice these charming little characters to your garden!
You can sign up for Big Garden Birdwatch here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/
Once you have signed up online you'll have access to exclusive articles, downloads and celebrity interviews. You'll also benefit from 20% off in our shop so pop in and stock up ready for the big weekend!