The long-tailed tit breeds in deciduous and mixed woods with lush undergrowth, often hazel and goat willow. It builds a closed oval nest of moss in tree fork, cleverly disguised with bark and lichen and held together with spiders’ webs. The nest will take both the adults around 3 weeks to build and will consist of around 6,000 individual pieces. Nests are insulated with downy feathers. Females lay a clutch of 7-12 eggs which are incubated for 13-14 days. Due to high predation, there is a high nest failure rate. Failed breeders will often help out another pair’s nest. In one study, around 50 percent of nests had additional helpers.
For more information on long-tailed tit nesting, check out this guide.