Wild Birds

Willow Tit Welfare and Wet Woodland Crisis

The willow tit has undergone one of the most severe declines of any British woodland bird, falling by around 93% since the 1970s in a collapse linked to the loss of wet woodland and scrub that represents its specialist habitat.

Key Facts

UK willow tit numbers declined by around 93% between 1970 and 2016, a catastrophic crash
Willow tits excavate their own nest holes in rotting stumps of willow, birch, and elder in wet woodland
The species is extremely difficult to distinguish from marsh tit by sight; call differences are diagnostic
They require soft, rotting wood in which to excavate fresh nest holes each year
Loss of wet scrub, alder carr, and birch woodland in river valleys has eliminated most former breeding habitat

Welfare Considerations

Willow tit welfare has been catastrophically reduced by the loss of the wet scrub and carr woodland habitats that provide both the soft rotting wood for nest excavation and the insect-rich environment needed for chick rearing. Scrub clearance for amenity and development, and succession of wet scrub to closed woodland, are primary drivers. The species is now confined to scattered strongholds where targeted management of rotting wood and wet scrub is actively maintained.

What You Can Do

Support targeted willow tit conservation programs at remaining strongholds in England
Advocate for wet scrub and alder carr creation in river valley restoration programs
Contribute willow tit records to BTO surveys using diagnostic calls rather than visual identification
Back South Pennines and other regional willow tit recovery programs
Engage with riparian land management to promote rotting wood retention in wet woodland edges