The Siberian Tit (Poecile cinctus) is the northernmost of all tits and the only tit species found in Europe, Asia and North America alike, living in Sweden's northernmost sparse pine and mire forests. It measures 13–14 cm with a wingspan of around 20–22 cm and weighs only 11–13 g, and is recognised by its grey-brown, matte crown — unlike Sweden's other tits, it lacks any black or glossy cap. The chin carries a large dark patch, the cheek is white, and the back is olive-brown, while the underside shows a warm beige to rust-brown tone, most pronounced on the flanks; overall the bird looks somewhat long-tailed and scruffy. Its call is a distinctive nasal, raspy sound often rendered as "tsjiff-tsjiff-tsjedda", delivered in a low-key manner that is best heard at close range in the sparse northern pine forest.
In Sweden the Siberian Tit occurs in the north, mainly in the fell-adjacent coniferous forests of Norrbotten, with a population estimated at 5,000–15,000 pairs that is considered to be declining, though the species remains classed as Least Concern globally. It breeds in cavities, often excavating or enlarging a hole itself in a rotten stump or dead tree, and the availability of dead wood is crucial to its survival, tying the species firmly to old, undisturbed forest; the female typically lays 6–8 eggs. Its diet consists of insects, spiders and seeds, and like many northern tits it hoards food, caching supplies in bark crevices and among lichens to help it through the long, cold winters of the far north.
Read about this species in Swedish →