Crested Tit

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Whilst up in the lakes last week and wondering around the Pine trees around Bassenthwait i got thinking about Crested Tit(like you do). In Europe they are quite common i believe, but in this country they are confined to the North of scotland which seems strange to me, when there are many seemingly suitable habitats around britain for them. Does anybody know whether they have previoulsy occupied woods in England or have they always been in Scotland?

[Alan]

Cresties are quite specialist, and have always been associated with pine woods - especially ancient Calidonian ones. In fact the Scottish population is classed as a seperate subspecies to the ones in Europe due to it's poor dispersal rate and reliance on the pine woods. It just wont move far from them, so there's not much likelhood of them migrating further south or over to Europe, without a continual cover of pine trees. Something that probaly hasn't occured since man started to clear the forests say 4000+ years ago.

Try this link John for some indepth info:

http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.crested_tit.html

Alan

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Thanks Alan, forgot i'd posted this

It's a shame birds like this aren't more widespead, i'm sure that they'd do well in the many pine woods in england but do you risk upsetting the natural balance by introducing birds

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly

but do you risk upsetting the natural balance by introducing birds

Do English pine woods (esp. commercially planted) actually have a balance of nature to be upset?

[Wolfhill]

Even in Scotland they are confined to a certain area I would love to see them in my neck of the woods. The strange thing is that there is areas of ancient Caladonian pine woodland on the other side of the Cairngorms, but they won't even cross them, so I don't think there's any chance of them coming down to England.
Fergus

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Do English pine woods (esp. commercially planted) actually have a balance of nature to be upset?

Thats a very good point actually

I suppose the only thing to do would be some kind of indroduction scheme, it could be done i guess

[rlchew]

Cresties are great little birds that I see each year in Abernethy but sometimes even there they can be elusive. I found learning the calls was a good way of tracking them down in the Cally Pine canopy.

I always understood that they are one of the most localised and sedentary birds in the UK.

Unfortunately no chance for England then .... a bit like the World Cup really .

Richard