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.