Bearded Tit
VU

Bearded Tit

Panurus biarmicus

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_reedling

Overview

The bearded reedling is a small, long-tailed passerine bird found in reed beds near water in the temperate zone of Eurasia. It is frequently known as the bearded tit or bearded parrotbill, as it historically was believed to be closely related to tits or parrotbills. Today it is known to lack close relatives and it is the only species in the family Panuridae.

The Bearded Tit faces significant threats from habitat loss and degradation of its specialized reed bed environments, which are increasingly fragmented and destroyed by drainage, development, and agricultural conversion. Climate change poses additional risks through altered water levels and extreme weather events that can devastate breeding colonies, while the species' highly specialized habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.

Threat summary

Habitat

Extensive reed beds dominated by Phragmites australis in freshwater and brackish wetlands, including marshes, lake margins, and coastal lagoons. The species requires large, continuous stands of mature reeds with appropriate water levels for both nesting and foraging.

FRESHWATER· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Frequently asked questions

Why is Bearded Tit classified as Vulnerable?
Bearded Tit is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. The Bearded Tit faces significant threats from habitat loss and degradation of its specialized reed bed environments, which are increasingly fragmented and destroyed by drainage, development, and agricultural conversion. Climate change poses additional risks through altered water levels and extreme weather events that can devastate breeding colonies, while the species' highly specialized habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.
Where does Bearded Tit live?
Bearded Tit occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Bearded Tit?
The main threats to Bearded Tit are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.