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Field Guide
🐦

Coal Tit

Periparus ater

Not yet photographed by the community

Small tit favouring conifer woodland; white nape patch.

Species Profile

Green List (not of conservation concern)
Lifespan
2–3 years in the wild, occasionally up to 10 years
Size & Weight
11–12 cm, wingspan 17–21 cm; 7–12 g
Habitat
Coniferous and mixed woodlands, parks, gardens, and hedgerows with scattered trees throughout the UK.
UK Distribution
Resident throughout the UK year-round, with numbers augmented by continental migrants in autumn and winter.
Diet
Insects, spiders, and their larvae during breeding season; seeds from conifers, ash, and sunflowers in winter; also takes nuts at feeders.
Prey
Insects, spiders, and small caterpillars; seeds and nuts
Predators
Sparrowhawks, Eurasian jays, and domestic cats; eggs and chicks vulnerable to woodpeckers and corvids.
Mating Season
March to August
Breeding
Two broods per year; clutch size 8–10 eggs; incubation period 14 days; fledging period 16–17 days.
Behaviour
Highly acrobatic forager, often hanging upside-down on twigs and branches. Social and often seen in mixed-species winter feeding flocks with other tit species. Males and females form lasting pair bonds and participate in territorial defence.
Did You Know?
  • •Coal Tits are able to store thousands of seeds in scattered locations during autumn and can remember most cache sites through winter.
  • •They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any British bird species, reflecting their high intelligence and spatial memory.
  • •The distinctive white patch on the back of the neck is unique to Coal Tits among UK tit species.
  • •Coal Tits can lower their body temperature at night to conserve energy during cold weather, a process called torpor.
  • •They produce a distinctive loud, whistling 'tea-cher, tea-cher' song that is louder and clearer than many larger bird species.

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