Page 348 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

TITS AND ALLIES
Order Passeriformes Family Paridae Species Parus montanus
Willow Tit big, dull appears big-
black cap
headed and
pale cheeks bull-necked
extending
well back
small, rounded,
plain brown wings
dull brown
back
black chin
pale panel
on wings
dull grey-buff
underside
IN FLIGHT
rich orange-buff
flanks

FLIGHT: low, quick, whirred wingbeats like other
small tits.
PEANUT RAIDER
uch like a Marsh Tit, the Willow Tit is The Willow Tit is quite a frequent
Mmore often found in places with few visitor to hanging feeders in
mature trees but plenty of lower bushes, such gardens. The characteristic pale
as old hedgerows and extensive willow carr over wing panel is visible in this picture.
peat bogs. It is, however, also found in woods and
the two often overlap. It often visits gardens but,
like the Coal Tit, tends to take a morsel of food and
fly away with it to eat elsewhere, so its visits are short.
The Willow Tit appears big-headed and bull-necked,
and uses its distinctive low, harsh, buzzy calls frequently,
helping to separate it from the Marsh Tit. It requires
patience and experience to learn how to separate the
two on sight.
VOICE Thin zi zi combined with distinctive deep, nasal,
buzzing airr airr airr or charr charr charr; song rarely varied warble, more commonly
full, piping tyoo tyoo tyoo.
NESTING Excavates own hole in rotten stump; 6–9 eggs; 1 brood;April–June.
FEEDING Agile and acrobatic but generally quite sluggish, taking insects, seeds, and
berries; comes to feeders in gardens for nuts and sunflower seeds.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in N and E Europe, west to
MARSH TIT no pale smaller cap UK and E France, and south to
different call; cheeks C Italy and Balkans, present year
see p.347
round. Occupies coniferous and
paler and birch forest, mixed woods,
greyer no dark white thickets and hedgerows, and
chin wingbars
often visits gardens.
BLACKCAP 32; COAL TIT Seen in the UK
see p.316 see p.343 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 11.5cm (4 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 17–18cm (6 1 ⁄2 –7in) Weight 9–11g ( 11 ⁄32 – 3 ⁄8oz)
Social Loose flocks Lifespan 2–3 years Status Secure†
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