Marsh Tit
Poecile palustris
About This Species
Look in mature broadleaf woodland and large gardens with old trees; a small, chunky brown-grey tit with a glossy black cap and small black bib, distinguished from the very similar willow tit mainly by voice — listen for its sharp, explosive "pitchoo" call. It visits feeders in winter when food is scarce, and pairs hold territory year-round so it can be found in the same wood in any season.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Standard garden-bird courtesy applies — watch from a few metres at a feeder or from a path without approaching a suspected nest hole, since it is a resident, non-migratory species whose local population can be affected by repeated disturbance near breeding sites.
- General wild bird protection laws across its European range make it an offence to intentionally disturb nesting birds, so avoid lingering near cavity nests in spring.
LCAvesPasseriformesParidae
Seasonal Activity
1,320,511 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paridae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.