Crested Tit (1 Viewer)

[DJ Sideboard]

Would anyone like to answer or speculate on a couple of questions that have been bothering my idle mind as I stroll the Scottish Glens?

1) Why are Crested Tits such a rarity on Deeside?. I've seen them in virtually the last trees on the Aviemore (Speyside) side of the mountains, and the habitat looks identical to me in the Glens a dozen or so miles away on the Braemar side (eg Glen Derry), and there are loads of suitable looking (to me!) woods on Deeside which hold similar birds (Caper, 'Scottish Crossbill' etc) to Speyside....but no Cresties!

2) Given that there must be little exchange between the Scottish and European populations, how is that I've never heard suggestions that the Scottish birds be awarded specific status?. In Europe the Cresties seem able to inhabit entirely different habitats.....

3) How often are Crested Tits seen in England? I believe there have been records, presumably of French birds.

Thanks in advance

DJ

 

[Michael Frankis]

1) - this baffles everyone! It is thought that most likely at one time in the (probably relatively recent) past**, the Deeside forests were reduced to such a small size by over-felling that there weren't enough to support a viable population, and that combined with Crestie's reluctance to fly over more than half a mile of open space, has prevented recolonisation.
** Queen Victoria was instrumental in that when she bought Balmoral, she gave the forests protection and opportunity to expand again for the first time in their history - so the low point was probably circa 1850.

2) Because the differences are so small; also they do largely use the same habitat, Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) forests - that's what I've seen them in, in Denmark and Bulgaria. I think it is only the Spanish Cresties that use anything different, and there they do also occur in Pinus sylvestris as well.

3) One record from Northumberland, which turned up in autumn 1984 at the same time as a big influx of Scandinavian Coal Tits. So presumably from Norway. I think there's also a small handful of records from the SE coasts of Britain, probably from Netherlands / Belgium / France.

Hope that helps!

Michael

 

[DJ Sideboard]

Cheers Michael.....interesting stuff!

I hadn't thought about ancient habitat destruction on Deeside as a reason for the absence of Cresties. Is there any evidence they were ever found there? Can you refer me to anything written about this?

You're no doubt right about the species habitat preferences in Europe....I've mainly seen them in the Pyrenees where they seem to hang out in anything but Pines!

I'm interested to hear about other English records....

Cheers DJ

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi DJ,

Check out Steven & Carlisle, The Native Pinewoods of Scotland (1959; facsimile reprinted 1996**) for the history of the forests - lots of details of e.g. historical records of felling activity and fires, etc, e.g.: "It is known that during the period from 1811 to 1855, many of the best remaining pine in the neighbourhood of Braemar were felled (Macgillivray, 1855)" (S&C p.107)

I'm not aware of any evidence for Cresties ever being on Deeside, and doubt that there is any - I guess it would need finding a subfossil specimen, which'd be a real hard job.

Other English records, from Harrap & Quinn, Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers: "England, about ten records, mostly in the 19th century in the south and east (including North Yorkshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Wiltshire, Devon and the Isles of Scilly), involving both nominate cristatus and mitratus from continental Europe; also vagrant in Scotland away from the breeding range, to Angus and Perth, Stirling and Lanark."

The Northumberland bird was present 24 Aug - 30 Sep 1984 (Birds in Northumbria 1984).

I fear getting further details would mean checking up in the individual county avifaunas.

Michael

** by Castlepoint Press, Colvend, Dalbeattie DG5 4QB

 

[DJ Sideboard]

That's brilliant Michael - thanks a lot.