• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Binoculars and Scopes
    • View Cart
    • Your Account
      • edit-account
      • edit-address
      • lost-password
  • Wildlife Tours
    • Wildlife Holidays & Tours
    • Guided Wildlife and Birding Walks
    • Custom Wildlife and Birding Tours
  • Schools
  • Books
  • News
    • Irish Wildlife News
    • International Wildlife News
    • Wildlife Events
    • Wildlife Press Releases
  • Articles
    • Blog
      • Birding
      • Wildlife Photography
      • Whales and Dolphins
      • Mammals
      • Wildlife Podcasts
        • The Calendar Road
      • Biodiversity
      • Wildlife Calendar
    • Species Profiles
      • Amphibians
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Fungi
      • Invertebrates
      • Mammals
      • Plants
      • Reptiles
    • Feature Articles
      • Choosing Binoculars
      • Birding for Beginners
      • How to watch whales and dolphins
      • How to watch Basking Sharks
      • Wildlife travel
    • Wildlife Portfolio
    • Wild Wide Web
    • Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Gear Reviews
        • Wildlife Optics
          • Binocular Reviews
          • Spotting Scope Reviews
        • Wildlife Clothing
        • Wildlife Accessories
  • Work with us
    • Write for us
    • Advertise with us
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Wildlife Marketing Services
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Disclosure Statement
    • Cookie policy (EU)
  • Contact

Ireland's Wildlife

Irish wildlife, nature and biodiversity

You are here: Home / Species Profiles / Birds / Coal Tit (Periparus ater)

Coal Tit (Periparus ater)

October 10, 2011 by Calvin Jones 2 Comments

Coal Tit (Periparus ater)The coal tit is one of the “usual suspects”, commonly seen at practically every peanut feeder in Ireland. Over the winter this tiny bird, one of our smallest, is a regular visitor to garden birdtables and feeders. It has a particular penchant for peanuts, and should the opportunity present itself the enterprising coal tit will make repeat visits to the supply, carrying away nuts to horde in its own private stash.

Coal tits are small birds – adults reach 10-11.5 cm (c. 4-4.5 inches) in length, have a wingspan of between 17-21 cm (c. 6.75-8.25 inches) and weigh between 8-10 g (0.25-0.35 oz). Coal tits share the familiar pattern of a black head and striking white cheek patches with a number of other tit species – but the coal tit is the only one with a distinctive white patch on the nape of the neck. The back is grey and the underside light. Coal tit sexes appear similar – although females generally have a slightly narrower, browner bib than the males. Juveniles are generally duller than adults, and are browner above and more yellow below.

There are at least eight sub-species of coal tit, and Ireland boast its very own race of this charming little bird – Periparus ater hibernicus. The Irish race is distinguished from its British counterpart by a distinct yellow tinge to its white cheek patches and nape.

Like other tits the coal tit is an acrobatic bird, and often hangs upside-down as it forages for food in the treetops. These are originally woodland birds, and the coal tit’s small slender bill is perfect for foraging between conifer needles and for picking out conifer seeds. They favour conifer forests, although they also breed in mixed forest, parks and gardens where suitable conifer growth occurs.

Coal tits are resident in Ireland all year ’round and don’t migrate. In winter they form mixed flocks with other tits and roam woodlands, parks and gardens in search of food. This is when they are at their most conspicuous, and when you’re most likely to notice them clamouring around your garden bird feeders. They feed mainly on seeds, nuts and a variety of insects, grubs and spiders. Their flight is fast and flitting, and they will sometimes hover briefly to get at food on the underside of inaccessible leaves and twigs.

Outside of the garden setting, coal tits are more often heard than seen. In woodland their distinctive “coo-tee, coo-tee” call is a common sound. They have a substantial repertoire of calls and songs generally similar to those of the great tit, although their voice is thinner and more sibilant than that of their larger cousins.

Breeding starts April or May, and nests are normally constructed in tree holes, old walls, rotting tree stumps or banks, often close to the ground. They also use artificial nest boxes. The nest itself is a cup of moss lined with animal hair or wool. The female lays seven to eleven white eggs with pink spots and incubates them for 14-16 days. Both parents care for the chicks once they hatch, and young typically fledge after 18-20 days. In general coal tits rear one brood per year – but when conditions are favourable may manage two.

Coal tits are common and widespread throughout Ireland and are not considered threatened. They are one of the few bird species to have benefited from the proliferation of conifer plantations over recent decades. There are an estimated 270,000 breeding pairs in Ireland.

Filed Under: Birds Tagged With: coal tit, periparus ater

  • .
    .
Avatar

About Calvin Jones

Calvin Jones is a freelance writer, author, birder and lifelong wildlife enthusiast. He is founder and editor of IrelandsWildlife.com and founder and wildlife guide of Ireland's Wildlife Tours offering wildlife and birding holidays on Ireland's south coast.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarSean says

    June 2, 2013 at 14:13

    I have a coal tit nest in my garden shed nestbox .Last year all young died .This year I had meat balls in the feeders and they fed the young on a mixture of this and natural feed.Four young are now about to leave the nest.Other fits are also feeding on them

    Reply
    • AvatarCalvin Jones says

      June 5, 2013 at 11:56

      Thanks for the comment Sean — good to hear this year’s coal tit chicks are doing well.

      There could be lots of reasons for last year’s tragedy — young birds are very vulnerable, and every season there are many that don’t make it — thankfully enough usually do to keep the population ticking over year after year.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search the site

  • .
    .
  • .
    .

Subscribe to the mailing list








Supporting Ireland’s Wildlife

  • .
    .
  • .
    .
  • .
    .
  • Microthemer - Visual editor for your WordPress site

*****

Footer

Experience Ireland’s Wildlife for yourself

Breaching humpback whale Ireland

Join us on a wildlife adventure on Ireland’s Wild South Coast… and find out first hand why we call this Europe’s Undiscovered Wildlife Frontier.

Find out more…

Ireland's Wildlife runs on the Genesis Framework from StudioPress · Hosted with InterServer

Recent Additions

  • Rare Marsh Harrier breeds successfully in Ireland again
  • Doogee S96 Pro: an ideal rugged smartphone for outdoor enthusiasts
  • Regatta Rivington Mens Wellington Review
  • Sofirn IF25A LED Torch Review
  • Book Review: Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe
  • Swarovski Optik NL Pure 10×42 Binocular Review
  • Make your garden bird-friendly
  • Vanguard VEO ED 10×42 Binocular Review

Tags

audio binoculars biodiversity birding birds Birdwatch Ireland books cetaceans citizen science CJ Wildlife competition conservation Cork fin whale full size binoculars garden birds garden wildlife Golden Eagle Trust humpback whale Ireland IWDG Kerry mammals national biodiversity data centre npws optics photography raptors reintroduction review reviews spring stranding surveys Vanguard west cork whales whales and dolphins whalewatching whale watching white tailed eagle Wildlife wildlife crime wildlife photography wildlife podcasts
Top 1000 Wildlife Websites

Take it from the top....

Copyright © 2021 Ireland's Wildlife · Site Design by West Cork Websites · Content by CJ Writing