Moskovka is one of the smallest birds of the tit family. Initially, the bird was called "camouflage" because of the peculiar black cap on its head, but over time the name was slightly transformed.
Moskovka or black tit. 
Muscovite thought on a branch. 
Muscovite tit.
Geography of residence
Muscovites live throughout Eurasia and northwest African Tunisia. For their habitat, birds prefer coniferous forests, and especially spruce forests. You can also meet them in mixed forests where pines, birches or larches grow, and in Africa they settle in cedar forests and juniper plantations. As a rule, Muscovites do not settle above 2000 m above sea level, although in the southwest of China they can be found at an altitude of about 4500 meters.
Muscovites usually lead a sedentary lifestyle, but if the winter becomes too severe or there is a catastrophic lack of food, birds can massively move to new areas, over time, some of the birds may return back, and the rest remain in a new place.
Appearance
There are more than 20 subspecies of Muscovy tits, looking at the photo of a bird, it is very difficult to say which subspecies it belongs to. This is due to the fact that the same traits can overlap in different subspecies.
The body length of the Muscovite does not exceed 11.5 cm, and the weight varies from 7 to 12 grams. The nape and head of the bird are black, and the color of the feathers on the cheeks is off-white, and there is a large black spot in the shape of a shirt-front on the throat. The feathers of the wings and tail are brown-gray, the beak and eyes are black, and the paws are gray-blue. Sexual dimorphism is practically absent, the only difference is that the color of plumage in females is more faded compared to males.
Muscovite bird. 
Muscovy on a branch. 
Nutrition and behavior
In the cold seasons, the basis of bird nutrition is the seeds of plants and conifers:
- pine,
- sequoia,
- cypress,
- sycamore,
- juniper berries.
Moskovka in search of food. 
Muscovite with food. During the breeding season, Muscovites become real predators; during this period, various insects are in their diet:
- butterflies,
- dragonflies,
- beetles,
- ants,
- flies,
- grasshoppers.
Muscovites usually live in flocks, they can join flocks of other birds, puffy grenadiers, kinglets. Muscovites take care of their food on cold winter days, for this they hide seeds and small insects in the cracks in the bark of trees.
A photo of a Muscovite tit, which is not particularly beautiful, is unlikely to attract special attention, which cannot be said about her voice. Its trills are very melodic and sonorous, similar to the songs of the great tit and blue tit.
reproduction
Sexual maturity in birds occurs at one year of age. Muscovites build monogamous couples, remaining faithful to their partner until death. They build their nests in old tree hollows, half-decayed stumps, sometimes in small cracks in rocks or in abandoned burrows of small rodents. The female is responsible for the construction of the nest, inside the nest is paved with moss, horsehair, feathers and cobwebs.
Usually, during the season, the female lays two clutches with an average of 5-11 white eggs with red-brown spots. After 15-16 days, chicks are born, and for 18-20 days both parents will be equally responsible for their nutrition. After the chicks grow up and become winged, and this happens after 20-22 days, they remain with their parents for several more days. At the end of summer, young and old birds unite in flocks.
Muscovite chick before leaving the nest. - Muscovite's heart performs about 1200 contractions per minute,
- the average life expectancy of these birds is 9 years,
- Muscovites can be kept at home in a cage, getting used to a person, after 2 weeks they are happy to peck grains from a person’s hand.
More types of tits.
Due to the black cap on the head and white cheeks, the Muscovite tit is similar to the big one, but differs significantly from it in its smaller size. In addition, the Muscovite has a more dense physique, and there is no bright yellow tint in the color of the feathers of the chest and sides.
Many scientists believe that the characteristic cap of black feathers became the basis for the original Russian name for this bird - "mask", with an emphasis on the first syllable. Later, the pronunciation of the word changed, and shifted to the second syllable, acquiring a "capital" sound. However, the black tit has nothing to do with Moscow, although based on the new name "moskovka" one might think that this bird mainly lives in the capital of Russia. On the contrary, the Muscovite tit avoids close proximity to human habitation.
By appearance, behavioral features and singing, the Muscovite tit is similar to the great tit and the blue tit.
This bird is found in forested regions throughout Eurasia from the British Isles to Japan. It can also be found in northwestern Africa. The northern border of the distribution range of the Muscovite tit runs along the 67th parallel of northern latitude in Scandinavia, and in Siberia it goes south to the 62nd parallel. In the south, the habitats of this bird are limited to steppe and desert regions.
Moskovka lives mainly in coniferous forests, less common in mixed forests. She prefers calm, remote from human settlements and highways places: dense forests, wooded mountain slopes.
Description of the Muscovite
Moskovka is a small dense and rounded physique with a short tail. Its body length is approximately 10–11.5 cm, and its weight is 7.2–12 g. The feathers on the head and nape are black, and on the cheeks they are dirty white. In the upper part of the chest there is a shirt-front in the form of a black spot. Feathers on the head of the Muscovite tit can be elongated in the form of a crest, this feature is more pronounced in the southern subspecies.
The Muscovite tit is a sedentary species. Only a harsh and hungry winter can force these birds to seek food outside their permanent habitats.
The back of the black tit is bluish-gray with a brownish tinge. The sides and belly are off-white, and the tail and wings are brownish-gray. There are two light stripes on the wings. The characteristic distinguishing features of this species is the black mask on the head, which gave this bird Russian name, and a small light spot on the back of the head. Depending on the severity of the tuft and color features, more than 20 subspecies of the Muscovite tit are distinguished.
Moskovka or black tit, mokhovka is one of the smallest birds that live on the territory. The weight of this bird is only 7-10 grams, the body length is about 12 centimeters. A very nimble, mobile bird that inhabits the conifers of our country is sometimes found in forest plantations and parks. Does not like to settle in settlements, but can fly to feeders in search of food. In winter, they can live in a whole flock in parks and squares.
Origin of the species and description
Periparus ater Moskovka is a bird belonging to the detachment, family, genus Periparus, species Moskovka. Moskovka belongs to the oldest order of passerine birds. The first passerines inhabited our planet as early as the Eocene. In our time, the order of passerines is extremely numerous; it includes about 5400 species.
These birds are widely distributed throughout the world. The species Periparus ater in our region is represented by 3 subspecies, two of them are included in the group of subspecies "phaenotus" these birds are distributed mainly in, in the Middle and. In the European part of our country, the subspecies R. a. ater.
Video: Moskovka
Muscovites are small modestly colored birds. Females and males have the same color, sometimes the color of males can be a little brighter than that of females. On the muzzle of the bird there is a kind of "mask" of a dark color, because of which the birds got their name. The upper part of the head is painted in blue-silver color with an olive tint, the bottom of the bird is light.
There are brown feathers on the sides and undertail. From the line of the eyes to the throat and top of the breast, the color is white. There are small black spots on the chest, sides and under the wings. The wings and tail of the bird has a brownish tint. The beak is small black. The head is round, the eyes are small, the iris is dark. On the limbs there are four fingers, at the ends of which there are claws. This type It was first described by the scientist Carl Linnaeus in his System of Nature in 1758.
Appearance and features
Muscovy is very similar to ordinary tits, but still Muscovites are slightly different from other representatives of this family. These creatures are considered the smallest birds from the tit family. The size of the bird from beak to tail is about 11 cm, and the Muscovite weighs only 8-12 grams.
The beak is straight, small in size. The head is small and round. A distinctive feature of these birds is their unusual coloring. White "cheeks" are highlighted on the muzzle of the bird. From the beak, the color is dark all over the head. It seems as if a “mask” is put on the muzzle of the bird, which is why the bird got its name.
When the Muscovite is excited, she lifts the feathers on her forehead in the form of a small tuft. There is also a white spot on the top of the bird. The main color is gray with brown. Feathers on the head are black with a silver-blue tint. On the wings of the Muscovite, the feathers are gray, there are patterns in the form of white stripes. The tail consists of a bunch of flight feathers.
Males and females are almost indistinguishable in appearance. Juveniles have a coloration similar to adult birds. Dark blue almost black hat with a brownish tinge, on the cheeks in the back of the head where there should be white spots, the color is yellowish. The stripes on the wings also have a yellowish tint.
The trills of these birds are heard everywhere from mid-March to September. Muscovite singing is quiet, the voice is squeaky. The song consists of two or three-syllable phrases such as: "tweeee", "pee-tee" or "Ci-Ci-Ci". Females and males sing together. There can be up to 70 songs in the repertoire of one bird. Sometimes tits are used to teach the singing of canaries. AT wild nature Mokhovka live for about 8-9 years.
Interesting fact: Muscovites have an excellent memory, they can remember places where food is located, people who feed birds, and most importantly, after a long stay in unfamiliar places, these birds can find their nest and places where they hid food.
Now you know what does a Muscovite bird look like. Let's see where the black tit is found.
Where does the Muscovite live?
Muscovites inhabit forests, Northern. Also found in the Atlas Mountains, in Africa and. In the northern part of Eurasia, these birds can be found in and in the Russian north, in These birds inhabit in large numbers, Ryazan region, live on and in the northern part. And also these birds inhabit Turkey, the Caucasus, and. Sometimes Muscovites can be found on the island of Sicily, the British Isles, Honshu, Taiwan, and the Kuril Islands.
Moskovka settles mainly in spruce forests. Sometimes a mixed forest can also be chosen for life. If it lives in mountainous areas, it nests on wooded slopes where pines and oaks grow. Rarely settles at an altitude above 2000 meters above the level, however, these birds are seen at an altitude of about 4500 m. Muscovites never sit still, and in search of food they can explore new areas.
In places with a mild climate in the Caucasus and southern Russia, birds lead a sedentary lifestyle. And also these birds often stay for the winter, and in central Russia they move to parks and squares. Muscovites nest in the forest. These birds usually do not make seasonal migrations, however, in the absence of food or during a harsh winter, birds can make flocking flights, developing new territories.
For nesting, habitual places are usually used, in rare cases they nest in new territories. The nest is located in a hollow or other natural cavity. Sometimes they can settle in an abandoned hole of small rodents. Due to the abundance of enemies in the wild, and the inability to make long flights, Muscovites try to stay near trees and shrubs.
What does Muscovite eat?
Moskovka is very unpretentious in food. The diet of the bird is envy of the area in which the bird lives and the time of year. In spring and summer, birds eat more insects and plant foods; from mid-summer, birds switch to plant foods. In the winter season, Muscovites are content with seeds, rowan berries and the fact that the bird stocked up in the summer for the winter.
The main diet of Muscovite includes:
- caterpillars;
- seeds of coniferous plants;
- rowan berries, juniper;
- seeds of beech, sequoia, sycamore and other plants.
This bird loves to eat and juicy fruits of ripe fruits, nuts. Muscovites can perfectly climb the branches of trees to get their own food.
Interesting fact: Muscovites are very thrifty, and in the wild these birds are summer period working hard to stock up for the winter. The bird makes a kind of "pantry" under the bark of trees, where it hides its reserves, protecting them from snow. Often these stocks are enough for the bird for the whole winter.
Birds that live near human dwellings fly into feeders and peck at bread crumbs, nuts, and seeds. Although these birds are afraid of people, they quickly get used to those who feed them, remember the place where the feeder is located and fly again.
Features of character and lifestyle
Muscovites, like many tits, are very mobile. They constantly move between trees, crawling along the branches in search of food. They do not like migrations and leave their usual habitats only in cases of lack of food, or very bad weather conditions. For nesting, birds like to return to their usual places.
Muscovites live in small flocks of 50-60 individuals, however, in Siberia and the conditions of the North, flocks were noted in which there were up to a thousand individuals. Flocks are usually mixed, Muscovites get along well with warblers, crested tits, kinglets and pikas. During the nesting period, the birds are divided into pairs and build nests populating a large area.
Tits are very good family men, they form pairs for almost a lifetime, take care of their offspring for a long time. The nature of the birds is calm, the birds coexist peacefully within the flock, there are usually no conflicts. Wild birds are afraid of people, and try not to approach people, however, in the winter season, severe weather force birds to move to cities and towns.
Birds quickly get used to people. If the Muscovite is kept in captivity, this bird gets used to a person very quickly. Already after a week, the bird may begin to peck seeds from the hands of the owner, and over time, the bird may become completely tame. Tits are very trusting, easily get used to people.
Social structure and reproduction
The mating season for Muscovites begins at the end of March. During this period, males begin to attract females with loud singing, which is heard everywhere. And also they notify other males about where their territory is, denoting its boundaries. In addition to singing, males show their readiness to create a family by beautifully floating in the air.
During the mating dance, the male fluffs his tail and wings, while continuing to sing loudly. The choice of a place for the nest is the business of the male, but the female equips the dwelling. The female builds a nest inside a narrow hollow, in a rock crevice or in an abandoned rodent burrow. To build a nest, soft moss, feathers, and scraps of animal hair are used.
Interesting fact: Females are very protective of their cubs, while incubating eggs, the female does not leave the nest for about two weeks.
In one summer, Muscovites manage to make two masonry. The first clutch consists of 5-12 eggs and is formed in mid-April. The second clutch is formed in June and consists of 6-8 eggs. Muscovy eggs are white with brown spots. Incubation of eggs lasts about two weeks. At the same time, the female incubates the eggs practically without getting up from the masonry, and the male guards the family and obtains food for the female.
Little chicks are born covered in soft, gray down. The male brings food to the chicks, and the mother warms them and feeds them for another 4 days, and later begins to get food for the cubs, leaving the chicks in the nest together with the male. The chicks begin to fly away from the nest at the age of 22 days, having learned how to fly, the juveniles can spend the night in the nest for some time, later the young chicks fly away from the nest, straying into flocks with other birds.
Natural enemies of Muscovites
These little birds have a lot of natural enemies. Rodents, martens, foxes and cats, so the birds try to build nests in places inaccessible to these predators. They choose hollows, crevices with a narrow entrance so that predators do not climb into them.
Most Muscovites die not from the paws of predators, but from harsh conditions external environment. Birds do not tolerate cold well in winter wild birds, often die of starvation without finding food for themselves, especially during snowy winters, when their supplies are covered with snow. In order to survive the winter, birds migrate to the cities in small flocks. People can save a lot of these cute birds by hanging a bird feeder on a tree and bringing in some grain and breadcrumbs.
Population and species status
To date, Periparus ater has the status of Least Concern. The population of this species of birds is the most numerous; birds densely inhabit the forests of Eurasia and North Africa. It is extremely difficult to track the population of these birds, as the birds keep in mixed flocks and can fly, mastering new areas. Since Muscovites like to settle in spruce and mixed forests in many areas of our country, the population of this species is decreasing due to deforestation.
For example, in the Moscow region, the population of these birds has greatly decreased. Moskovka was brought to Moscow and the species was assigned the 2nd category, a species rare in Moscow with a declining population. Only about 10-12 pairs nest on the territory of Moscow. Maybe the birds just don't like the noise. big city, and for life they choose quieter areas.
Due to the decrease in the population of these birds in Moscow and the region, measures have been taken to protect birds:
- known bird nesting sites are located in specially protected areas;
- parks and green areas are being developed on the territory of the metropolis;
- ornithologists monitor the population of these birds in Moscow and create comfortable conditions for their life.
In general, the species is numerous throughout the country, the birds feel good in nature and multiply rapidly; the species does not need special protection.
Moskovka very useful bird. These birds are real orderlies of the forest, which destroy beetles and insects that harm plants and are carriers of various diseases. Birds treat people well, and in winter they can fly to cities in search of food. It is in our power to make sure that these birds live comfortably next to us. They just need to be fed at a time when in the natural environment the birds have nothing to feed on.
Moskovka is the smallest titmouse. Her main difference from her tit sisters is her beautiful voice, which is why they called the Muscovite a songstress. Dark tones predominate in the color, for which the Muscovite was given another name - the black tit. The head is shiny black above, with a white spot on the back of the neck. Throat black. There are white spots on the back of the head and cheeks, the back is gray, the chest and underside of the body are off-white, there is an buffy coating on the sides. Wings and tail greyish-brown. There is a light transverse stripe on the wings. Males and females are the same in color.
Distributed in Russia from the westernmost borders to Sakhalin, Primorsky Krai and Kamchatka. AT major cities found in parks and forest parks on the outskirts of the city. It is especially noticeable in the city during winter migrations during the harvest of spruce and pine cones.
Moskovka settles mainly in a spruce or pine forest. She builds a nest in old hollows, in the roots of fallen trees, in crevices. wooden houses. Not finding a suitable hollow, it also occupies abandoned rodent burrows. The nest is built from moss, shreds of wool of various animals; cobwebs and down feathers are always present in the inner layer of the nest.
In summer, when chicks appear, Muscovites and other titmouses unite in noisy flocks and roam the forest together in search of food. These birds feed exclusively on insects, caterpillars, butterflies, and in winter they consume the seeds of coniferous trees. Titmouse Muscovites love to stock up, and they hide the caught caterpillar, the butterfly on the inside of the branch so that the snow that has fallen in winter does not interfere with getting close to the pantry.
Muscovite tit voice:
Your browser does not support the audio element.Text used:
A. Gorkanova. "Migratory and wintering birds of Russia. Thematic dictionary in pictures"