This little wood warbler wearing his dark necklace recently arrived from Central America to breed near wetland. Formerly classified in the genus Parus (meaning ‘tit’), along with Eurasian titmice such as the Willow Tit. A mnemonic for its song goes like this: zeeeeeeeeeee (buzzy)-chyoo.
- On a tree by a river a little tom-tit
- Sang ‘Willow, tit willow, tit willow’
- And I said to him, ‘Dicky-bird, why do you sit
- Singing ‘Willow, tit willow, tit willow’
- “Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?” I cried
- “Or a rather tough worm in your little inside” …
- From the Mikado (Gilbert & Sullivan)
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