Hokkaido Bird Watching Photo Workshops - Feeding Habits of the Shima Enaga/Long-tailed Tit

A Hokkaido bird spotting opportunity I never pass up is capturing the Shima Enaga while they are foraging.  The Shima Enaga is sometimes referred to as the Silver-throated dasher because they dash from tree to tree and among low-lying shrubs, even hanging upside down while probing for insects, seeds, berries, or any of its other preferred foraged feed.  The Shima Enaga feeds on a wide variety of tiny insects, dining on leafhoppers, treehoppers, aphids, and caterpillars.  The Shima Enaga’s diet adapts to the season in which it is foraging.  Wasps, ants, spiders, eggs, and pupae are a variety of insects on the Shima Enaga’s seasonal menu.

Outside of the breeding season, they live in flocks of half a dozen to two dozen composed of the family (parents and offspring) from the previous breeding season, together with extra adults that help raise the brood. The reason for the flocking behavior is believed due to winter roosting as they are susceptible to cold, and they huddle for warmth on cold nights. When the breeding season begins, the flock of Shima Enaga breaks up, and the birds attempt to breed in monogamous pairs. Females tend to wander into neighboring territories, while males remain within their winter territories.