Coal Tit Species Guide: Appearance, Diet, Habitat, Behavior, Stats, And Conservation Status

Hi, I'm David. Welcome to Wildlife in Focus. This episode is everything you need to know about the coal tit. Scientific name, Poriparous utter. Populations in the UK have been relatively stable for over 40 years. Although there are some yearly fluctuations, they are classified as a green-listed species in the UK and are globally registered as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN. The coal tit is one of the smallest members of the tit family. They have grey backs and a buff-coloured chest and tummy. They sport a black bib with white cheeks and a black cap. They are frequently mistaken for marsh tits and willow tits, especially from the front and side view. From the back, it is much easier to distinguish the coal tit from either the willow or marsh tit, as the coal tit has a white patch from the top of the head down to its neck. The male and female of the species have the same plumage. Juveniles have a yellowish tinge to their necks. Coal tits eat seeds, nuts and insects. They are frequent fleeting visitors to garden feeders as they tend to be bullied by larger birds, so they will often snatch some food and take it away so that they can eat in peace. They favour coniferous habitats but have adapted to all inland habitats in the UK, including urban environments. Consequently, they can be found across the British Isles. Coal tits are quite acrobatic birds and are sometimes mistaken for tree creepers due to their ability to hang upside down on branches of trees. They scatter and hoard their excess food supplies, meaning they will hide them in separate locations for later retrieval. Did you know? Because the coal tit is so small, they can only carry one seed at a time in their beaks, meaning they need to make frequent trips to food sources. They prefer to nest in the cavities of trees or in between rocks and walls. Favouring low nesting sites, they will even reside under the ground in the old burrows of rodents or even larger mammals such as rabbits. They will, though, opportunistically nest in old nest sites of large birds and even squirrel dreys. They make their nests from moss, hair and grass with a lining of fur and feathers. Coal tits have one to two broods each year, each consisting of up to nine eggs which are laid in April and hatch after two weeks and are ready to fledge after an additional two weeks. Both the male and female birds contribute to the next building and the raising of their young. Did you know? Coal tits are monogamous and will normally pair for life. They have a wing length of up to 63 millimetres and weigh up to 10 grams. They typically live for two years. Sparrowhawks are their main predator. Their nests are often predated on by mammals as well as some birds. I hope you've enjoyed this video. Please subscribe if you want to see more like this. It really helps the channel.