Aegithalos caudatus siculus

Abstract

The isolation of Sicily, starting from 20,000 years ago, has led to the differentiation of some animal and plant species due to isolation and lack of gene flow. Among the birds that have most differentiated in about 20,000 generations there is the Long-tailed Tit of Sicily, linked to the figure of Joseph Whitaker; it was he who described in 1901 the Acredula sicula, today Aegithalos caudatus siculus. Its peculiarities in plumage coloring and biometrics clearly separate it from individuals living just three kilometers away in Calabria, differences that have recently been confirmed also on a genetic basis. This contribution intends to make a
synthesis of what is known about the life of this singular bird in Sicily.