Standing deadwood for the willow tit

After ten years, the promotion project for the willow tit (Poecile montanus) was completed as planned. In collaboration with BirdLife Solothurn, local foresters and nature and bird conservation organisations, we were able to examine measures to create suitable nesting opportunities for this rare bird species. There are only around 4,000 - 8,000 breeding pairs in the whole of Switzerland. This makes it 10 - 50 times rarer than the other species of the genus Paridae.

As the willow tit needs rotten wood to build its nest, structures made of standing dead wood were specifically provided in nine test areas in five municipalities in the canton of Solothurn. This can be done either by ringing young trees at breast height. Or by attaching pieces of rotting deadwood to vital trees.

In 2018, a pair of willow tits chose a fortified piece of dead wood with a diameter of just 10 cm to build their nest and successfully raised nine young birds in it. Even though there was only one successful brood in the project period, the project provided valuable insights. The measures involving ringing and attaching pieces of dead wood are inexpensive and relatively easy to implement. If they are specifically implemented in moist young forest areas near existing willow tit populations, they are a good measure for promoting this rare species. And a nice side effect: the standing deadwood also benefits many other species such as wood arrows or deadwood beetles.