Willow Tit

Poecile montanus

Genus · Chickadees and Allies Family · Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
Observation tips Difficulty: MODERATE
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
Bird feederCanopy foliageLog piles

Listen for the harsh, nasal 'zhay' call. Visually, look for a pale panel on the wing feathers and a large, dull black bib.

Willow Tit
Stats
Wingspan17–21 cm
Weight9–14 g
Length11–13 cm
Lifespan wild2–9 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeCavity
Clutch size6–9 eggs
Incubation13–15 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationResident
Social BehaviourFlocking

Diet: Omnivore

🫐Berries
🦗Insects
🌻Seeds
🕷️Spiders

Habitat

🌲 Forest coniferous🌳 Forest deciduous🌲🌳 Forest mixed
✦ Fun Fact

Willow Tits hide food one item at a time in hundreds of different places, reducing the risk of losing all their winter supplies to a single thief.

About

A small bird of damp woodlands and willow thickets. It is almost identical to the Marsh Tit, but can be distinguished by its noticeably thick neck and a large, soot-black cap. It is a resident species in Europe, though it is currently in serious decline due to habitat degradation.

Behaviour

The Willow Tit is the only European tit that excavates its own nest hole in rotten wood. This makes them dependent on standing dead timber. Their call is a nasal, diagnostic 'zee-zee-zee'. This sound is much deeper and harsher than the call of a Marsh Tit.

Similar species

Marsh Tit
🐦
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustris
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