16

Coal Tit (Periparus ater) German name(s): "Tannenmeise" Size: 10-11.5 cm; wing span 17-21 cm Body mass: 8-10 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.11-0.12

Europe: Family Group 16 Family Group 16 Table Eurasian Blue Tit Great Tit Coal Tit Marsh Tit Willow Tit Sombre Tit European Crested Tit Eurasian Penduline Tit Long-tailed Tit Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Coal Tits are the smallest of the Eurasian tits. Males and females look alike, but there are small morphological differences between races. Coal Tits, nominate race "ater", have a black-and-white head. The cheeks, ear coverts and the nape of the neck are white; the rest is black. They also have a black bib. The back, wings and tail are lead-grey. The wings have a double wing bar formed by white spots on the upperwing coverts. The entire front, from chest to undertail coverts, is dusky greyish-buff. Coal Tits, race "britannicus", have an olive hue on their back. Race "cypriotes" has a larger bib and an all-black head, while race "ledouci" of North Africa is yellowish where all others are light-grey. All races have dark irises, a short, thin, needle-like dark-grey bill and grey legs and feet.

Taxonomy, classification See Coal Tit at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Coal Tit is available HERE . There are several races of Coal Tits which, taken altogether, have a wide-ranging distribution, from the British Isles, including Ireland, in the West to Japan in the East. The northernmost populations near the Arctic circle will migrate southwards, but through much of their range they are sedentary. For detailed information on the distribution throughout temperate Asia refer to a field guide. Apart from Eurasia, there are also populations around the Atlas mountain range in north-western Africa and in parts of Asia Minor. In Europe Coal Tits are sedentary and found almost anywhere, with the exception of much of central and south-western Iberia and northern Scandinavia. In some areas, such as the Adriatic coastal fringe, the lower Danube valley and through much of Ukraine, they are found only in winter. In European Russia they extend their breeding grounds towards the Polar circle in summer, but the migration distances are usually short. Coal Tits have a preference for coniferous woodland/forest, where they spend much time foraging high up in trees.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "ater" S. Cuturilov reports spotting Coal Tits, nominate race "ater", on the Jabuka mountain, south-western Serbia, in June 2017. Others were netted and ringed at Vlasina Lake, Serbia, in October 2019. Others were found by A. Sarokin Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. J. Pires found a Coal Tit, race "ater", in Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, in December 2019. Others were found at Montesinho Natural Park, Montesinho, Braganca, Portugal, in July 2022, and at the fishing port of Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, in December 2022. D. Wilczynska reports finding Coal Tits, race "ater", in Obidza, Lesser Poland, Poland in August 2020. G. Normand found Coal Tits, race "ater", in the Pyrenees near Merens-les-Vals, Ariege, France, in June 2021. Race "britannicus" M. Eaton reports spotting Coal Tits, race "britannicus", in Hyde Park, London, England, in September 2019. C. Pears found Coal Tits, race "britannicus", in Borrowdale, Lake District, England, in September 2023.

Photos

Race "ater"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a Coal Tit issuing its call (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Jabuka mountain, Serbia, 2017]

Near-frontal view of a Coal Tit issuing its call from an elevated perch (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Jabuka mountain, Serbia, 2017]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2022]

Frontal view of a Coal Tit looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2022]

Near-frontal view from above of a Coal Tit; note the characteristic white hindneck (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Jabuka mountain, Serbia, 2017]

Lateral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a Coal Tit hanging upside down (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2022]

Lateral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2022]

Lateral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Vlasina Lake, Serbia, October 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2022]

Dorsal view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montesinho Natural Park, Montesinho, Braganca, Portugal, July 2022]

Dorsal view of a Coal Tit - note the white hindneck and the double wing bar (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Pyrenees, near Merens-les-Vals, Ariege, France, in June 2021]

Race "britannicus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-lateral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Coal Tit visiting a bird feeder with small seeds (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Lateral/ventral view of a Coal Tit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

"Bum shot" of a Coal Tit, presented here to show the characteristic white nape (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

In most parts of their range, Coal Tits are sedentary. However, the populations in the northern part of the range will move southward in winter and return in spring.

Food, Diet

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Coal Tit with a seed taken from a pine cone (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, December 2019]

Head-on view of a Coal Tit visiting a bird feeder, together with a Eurasian Blue Tit; the "large rocks" in the feeder are peanuts (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

coaltit_jp_20220207.mp3	ater (Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
coaltit_jp_20251023.m4a	ater (Portugal)	Territorial calls?	© JP
coaltit_jp_20251118.m4a	ater (Portugal)	Territorial calls?	© JP
coaltit_dw_20200823.m4a	ater (Poland)	Territorial calls?	© DW
coaltit_dw_20200823_2.m4a	ater (Poland)	Territorial calls?	© DW
coaltit_jp_20220220.mp3	ater (Portugal)	Territorial calls?	© JP

More Coal Tit sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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