Coal tit (Periparus ater)
The Coal tit, or as it was once called by Linnaeus in his famous work of classification, Systema Naturae, Paus capite nigro: vertice albo, dorse cinereo, pectore albo (meaning “Black-headed titmouse with white nape, ash-grey back, white breast”), is the smallest British Tit. This somewhat lengthy name proved too much of a mouthful for most people, and so it was eventually changed to the much easier Periparus ater. Using a blend of Ancient Greek, Peri, the pre-existing genus, Parus, and the Latin, Ater, which means “dull-black”, gives the bird is most modern taxonomic iteration.
Coal tits are widespread globally, occupying an area that stretches from the UK all the way to northern and southern Asia, with some parts of northern Africa also. They have a preference for coniferous woodland, being keen on confer woodland in particular, and they can frequently be seen in parks and gardens taking to feeders quite naturally.
Coal Tits are restless, acrobatic little birds that can hang upside down on trees and hover to reach food on the underside of leaves and branches.
Breeding & feeding
Insects, aphids, spiders, conifer seeds, nuts and suet are all popular with Coal Tits but they are especially fond of mealworms, black sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts. Leaving these out for the birds should attract coal tits to your garden but they are quite shy at bird feeders, and you will often see them dash in, grab a beak full and dash off again as soon as another bird arrives to feed!
Coal tits have a curious bit of behaviour; look closely and you may notice them nesting deep within rotting tree stumps, or perhaps other holes, cracks and crevices such as burrows of mice or old Magpie nests. They commonly use materials such as moss, hair and grass; most breeding begins in March to April, with around seven to eleven red-spotted white eggs being laid in May.
a group of tits are collectively known as a “banditry” or “dissimulation”.
The Coal tit has the curious distinction of having the greatest number of bird fleas reported in a single nest, 5,754 fleas altogether.
excellent, first one I have seen. Love birds, always have a couple of feeders.
I have plenty of birds in my garden at the moment including many coal tits, I have placed many feeders and houses around for them, but they love to wake me up in the morning sat on my bedroom window sill singing, I am sure the song is I am here feed me worms it is really lovely to watch them all. They know where I sit in the lounge and come to the window and let me know that they are there, I have ignored them in the past and moved places to watch the reaction and they have either pecked on the window or found the nearest window to me to let me know that they are there.WONDERFUL.
Can you please add the images and description of the male and female coal tit and the difference between the young and adult, and the different colours in the feathers during winter and summer months as I’ve heard this can vary.
Thank you, I’d much appreciate it
I’ve had this little sweetheart in my garden for about four days now, but couldn’t put a name to it, so a big thank you. It certainly isn’t a fussy eater, although it seems to prefer pecking around underneath my feeders so all my other little visitors do all the hard work while my coaltit enjoys what’s dropped in the floor, then hiding behind my forsythia branches waiting party for its next foray under the feeders.
A real treat for me when I turn on my laptop, thank you for taking time to send in the lovely pictures and information about the birds.
Anita Hill – Ashbourne.
I love the interactive bird pictures , thank you.
Have one nesting in box in garden have camera in box. Have the camera attached to tv.
I have the same in my bird box with camera. Great to watch as the female has just started bringing in nesting material and the male is always nearby. She does have a real go at the camera though so I’m not sure how much more pecking and shaking it will take! Cute little bird. Really hoping they don’t get ousted by bigger birds.
I think I have one of these with a nest and a few eggs in the birdhouse in my backyard. The one sitting on the eggs flies out if we try to look. After it flew away we were able to shine the light in and see the nest and red/pink speckled eggs. I don’t want to make it abandon the nest so we never touch the birdhouse.
I’ve been watching a coal tit in my garden for an hour this morning, it’s been very busy hiding seeds in the garden and lawn, really pushing them down into the ground, this seems a bit early to be stashing food away. Is this unusual?