Bearded Reedling

The Bearded Reedling was formerly called the Mustached Tit but it is not a true tit far from it. It is a bird about the size of the Coal Tit, with a long, undulating tail, a bit like the Long-tailed Tit but larger.
The male, in his nuptial plumage, presents himself as a very rufous bird with a light grey head, which bears two very visible long black "mustaches" that start from the lores. These mustaches have nothing to do with the real mustaches that start from the beak, hence the quotation marks. They are all the more impressive since they are not smoothed down and are clearly distinguished from the underlying contour feathers. The throat is white, the beak and iris are orange. The top of the body, as well as the tail and flanks are very rufous. The external scapulars are white and the white edging of the primary flight feathers create two white bars on the side. The coverts, apart from the great outer coverts which are rufous, and the tertiaries are black with rufous edging. The secondary flight feathers are largely edged with rufous. The chest shows a wine colored gradient with the pale rufous belly. The under tail coverts are black. The leg feathers are black as well.
The female is distinguished from the male by her duller and less contrasted plumage, and above all by her brown head without "mustaches". The under tail coverts are fawn.
The juvenile resembles the female, but its plumage is more contrasted. Light fawn replaces the rufous and black appears, for instance, a black band in the middle of the mantle and back. The outer rectrices show a lot of black. The juveniles can be sexed. The young male has black lores and a yellow beak whereas the young female has lores that are a bit grey and a dark beak.